Mrs.Dalloway：Exploration of life and death

张雪儿

Publication Information

Mrs.Dalloway，written by Virginia Woolf，has generated the most critical attention and are the most widely studied of Woolfs novels ever since it was published in 1925.This book was in the list of Times100 the best English novels 1923-2005，and was a bestseller in America and Britain.The edition Ive read is from a reading App，the original material.

Publisher Hogarth Press

Publication date 14 May 1925

ISBN 0-15-662870-8

Plot Summary

It begins in the morning and ends at night，finishing within one day.Mrs. Dalloway wanders around London， buying flowers herself and preparing for the party. She met Hugh Whitbread.the one she knows very much since youth，taking his wife Evelyn to see doctors.Then during the whole promenade， she's reminiscing about her former suitor ，Peter walsh，and those happy and painful days they spent together.Also，she remembers being in love with a woman named Sally Seton. She's thinking that maybe she should have pursued that.Both relationships pleased her，although she married Richard at last. In terms of what she does， she goes home， mending her dress and overseeing the party preparations.

Next comes to her husband， Richard Dalloway，who's out to lunch with some friends. He returns home with some red roses to his lovely wife. He desire to express his deep love and say to his wife that he loves her， however，he can't do it.

Then the plot shifts to Peter Walsh， whos going to talk to lawyers to figure out how he's going to marry Daisy， because Daisy needs to get divorced first. He and Clarissa met，both are excited.They talk a lot and narrowly rekindle things with each other，interrupted by Clarissas daughter，Elizabeth.

After Peter leaving ，he observes Septimus and his wife Rezia squabbling. He considers in mind they're just having a lovers' quarrel but we， as the readers， know that something worse is going on.We can see how silent and lifeless Septimus are，as well as how miserable his wife Lucrezia are.After the war，Septimus is a changed man.Actually Septimus and Rezia are on their way to go and see a renowned psychiatrist named Dr. Bradshaw，hated by Septimus，who recommends that Septimus ought to be institutionalized away from his wife or he will be more crazy.This is the decision that eventually prompts Septimus to kill himself by throwing himself out of a window when the dudes come to take him away to go to the institution.

Ensuing ，the party begins.Coincidentally， Dr. Bradshaw， the doctor who recommended that Septimus be institutionalized， is actually a guest at Mrs. Dalloway's party later in the evening. He tells her that one of his patients committed suicide and that's kind of upsetting. She thinks about it and she kind of feels that even though she doesn't know Septimus， she admires him in a way for doing it though not entirely agree with him.She decides to live positively and explores the beauty of life it，finding the meaning of life.

Analysis

1 Theme

There are two story lines in this book，one is Clarissas life and her mind，the other is Septimuss tragedy.Each present a symbolic meaning.As for Clarissa，she married to a man she didnt love much，or we can say the man didnt as intelligent as her.However，restrained by the patriarchal society，she can not express herself freely.Shes a “Perfect housewife” from Peter Walshs mouth.The side she displays to others is the result of covering up.The inner mind of her true ego was hidden deeply.Thus，we can conclude that patriarchal society does harm to women，both physically and mentally.

In terms of Septimus，a man suffered from shell shock after the first world war.always have hallucinations of the dead warrior Evans，his friend.As a psychopath，he is treated badly. It comes off as being pretty critical of the way people who were mentally ill were dealt with at the time.Besides，during the reading，I find that his wife was also，suffered a lot.Having a abnormal husband，who is expressionless and lifeless，uninterested in everything，her life actually is a mess.After the war，the ground is silent and the city loses its vitality.It comes to criticize the calamity the war brings.

2 Characterization

Virginia Woolf is famous for her writing style，proficient in manipulating stream of consciousness，which also makes her works intelligible.Breaking down the traditional way to depict characters，she tries to follow the psychological time of main roles.The features of stream of consciousness of Virginia Woolf are the frequently changeable conversions of narrative perspective and observing the characters' psychologically inner monologues，i.e.following the protagonists' consciousness.In this book，the characteristics of main protagonists are shown by the internal narrative and others eyes.For example，Clarissa thinks of Peter when she wanders through London，thus we can roughly know what kind of a person Peter is.

3 Images

The flowers

Flowers represent beautiful things，which are easily withered.Mrs.Dalloway came out to buy flowers which meant she was to find out the beauty of life.Besides，she was a duchess so that she needn't to do such kind of odd things.It reflected Mrs.Dalloway's desire of freedom.

Big Ben

It is a sound imagery which represents physical time，together with the characters' psychological time.They are not contradictory.The inner activities are normally proceeding while the pratical time passes by.Its toll strikes at Clarissa's heart and pulls her from the reminiscence back to reality.It is also a summon，which aroses Clarissa's self-consciousness，as well as the considering of her life，destiny，and love.

Room

The imagery of room represents two different connotations.One is restricted by the patriarchal system using to imprison women，the other is a pure and blessed shelter for women to accomplish self-recognition and secure themselves.In this fiction it refers to the second meaning.Only when Clarissa is in the room can she express herself freely and bravely.Only when she is inside the room can she gain a sense of security.Then the room comes to a room of ones own，at any respects.