Mrs.

Dalloway
Study Guide by Course Hero

the story from a third-person omniscient point of view.

What's Inside
TENSE
Mrs. Dalloway is written in the past tense.
j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1
ABOUT THE TITLE
d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1 Mrs. Dalloway is the name of the main character, Clarissa
Dalloway. She is a wealthy middle-aged Englishwoman who
a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 2 reexamines her relationships with others and her attitude
about the passage of time during the events of a single day.
h Characters .................................................................................................. 3

k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 8

c Section Summaries ............................................................................... 12 d In Context

g Quotes ........................................................................................................ 28

l Symbols ...................................................................................................... 31 Sections in the Original Text

m Themes ....................................................................................................... 31
Virginia Woolf originally divided Mrs. Dalloway into 12 sections
b Motifs .......................................................................................................... 32 rather than chapters. The sections, indicated by line breaks,
helped keep the continuous flow of the narrative without the
e Suggested Reading .............................................................................. 33 stop that a chapter break typically provides. The 12 sections
align with the 12 numbers on the face of the clock. The breaks
do not match hour by hour with the narrative, however, and are
not preserved in all editions.
j Book Basics
AUTHOR From Edwardianism to
Virginia Woolf
Modernism
YEAR PUBLISHED
1925
King Edward VII's death in 1910 signaled the end of the late
Victorian age in England. Queen Victoria had died in 1901, and
GENRE
Britain began to grow more liberal. Religion's influence faded.
Drama
Women took positions of authority, and reformers agitated for
PERSPECTIVE AND NARRATOR better treatment of the poor. Radical thinkers such as Karl
Virginia Woolf wrote Mrs. Dalloway using the literary technique Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Albert Einstein shaped the changing
stream of consciousness to slip in and out of the direct cultural landscape. Technology such as radio and television
thoughts of various characters. The anonymous narrator tells increased connection to the world. The former classist system,
Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Author Biography 2

favoring wealth and prestige, looked to be on its way out. characters' confused responses to Septimus's symptoms, and
to his suicide, show the government's, and the average
For writers these changes showed in their styles and topics. citizen's, struggle and failure to meet the needs of war
Instead of chronicling the past, they turned their attention to veterans.
the inner lives of unorthodox men and women. Rather than
telling a straightforward story, they wrote in soliloquy (a type of
extended monologue in which characters express their
thoughts aloud when alone or think to themselves when not).
Woolf's Mental Illness
These authors tended to use complex language that defied
Woolf's cycling periods of depression and mania led to multiple
interpretation.
treatments, often involving rest and a lack of human contact or

Virginia Woolf agreed with many of her contemporaries that a mental stimulation. She was invested in the plight of so-called

new postwar world demanded a new style of writing, more mad characters in a time when mental illness was stigmatized.

adaptable and tuned to human psychology. Writers like Woolf, In Mrs. Dalloway Clarissa Dalloway's despair and Septimus

James Joyce, and Marcel Proust experimented with a Warren Smith's flashbacks shed light on the minds of the

storytelling style that presented characters' thoughts and mentally ill. The well-meaning but ultimately ineffective doctors

conscious minds in a continuous flow. This style, called stream in the novel reflect Woolf's own experience with inadequate

of consciousness, introduced a new way of reading for a new treatment.

era.

Woolf remembered the past, even while looking to the future. Women's Shifting Roles
Her Modernist techniques reveal the human mind's tendency
to process traumatic memories through fragments and Woolf and her sister, Vanessa, were not content with serving
flashbacks, and human uncertainty in the face of rapid change. tea to male guests. They participated fully in intellectual
Book reviewer Ralph Thompson said of her work, "Mrs. Woolf discussions with the Bloomsbury Group. Their unorthodox
is nearest perfection when dealing with the past or with a living arrangements—several men and women to one
present that has already begun to lose itself in the past. Then house—and Woolf's intimate female relationships reflected a
she is near perfection indeed." break from the more conservative Victorian era.

However, Woolf was still frustrated by the limited roles

World War I and Its Impact available for women. She resented being unable to attend
college and believed women were unequal to men in marriage.

World War I lasted from 1914 to 1918. Britain emerged no She was also frustrated that women's lives, often confined to

longer a world superpower, with the United States and the the domestic sphere, were regarded as trivial by male

Soviet Union surpassing Britain in authority. The war was intellectuals. Mrs. Dalloway focuses on the inner worlds of

longer and bloodier than anyone expected. Britain's veterans, several women, giving them depth and a broader context.

those who survived, had faced horrific conditions in muddy, rat- Clarissa's calm but less than passionate marriage to Richard

infested trenches. War machines became more sophisticated, Dalloway may reflect roles in Woolf's own marriage.

and jet aircraft flew overhead. The British weren't sure what
would happen next, but they knew nothing would ever be the
same again. a Author Biography
Mrs. Dalloway deals directly with the plight of veterans through
Virginia Woolf, born Adeline Virginia Stephen on January 25,
the character of Septimus Warren Smith and explores how the
1882, grew up surrounded by books. Her father was Leslie
anxiety and alienation caused by the war affects characters
Stephen, historian, author, critic, and founding editor of the
from all walks of life. The novel explores shell shock (now
Dictionary of National Biography. Her mother was Julia Prinsep
called post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), an illness often
Duckworth, niece of the photographer Julia Margaret Cameron
observed in war veterans, and its devastating effects. The
and model for Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Characters 3

Her wealthy London family raised their eight children in the late close friends, combined with a loss of faith in her own writing,
Victorian era, and young Woolf educated herself through her made her feel she had lost the capacity to create. In March
father's library and private tutors while her brothers went to 1941, at age 59, Woolf wrote a last letter to Leonard. She then
prestigious schools. The bustling city and the tranquil seaside made several suicide attempts, culminating with her walking
town of St. Ives, Cornwall, where the family vacationed, into the River Ouse with her pockets full of stones on March
influence the settings of most of Woolf's novels. 28, 1941.

Woolf's mother died unexpectedly when the author was 13. Leonard Woolf disregarded her instructions to "destroy all my
Grief caused Woolf to have her first mental breakdown. Nine papers" and instead preserved Woolf's diaries, letters, and
years later she suffered another breakdown after her father's incomplete novel Between the Acts. T.S. Eliot wrote in Woolf's
death. This time she attempted suicide and went to an obituary, "With the death of Virginia Woolf, a whole pattern of
institution to heal. Woolf may have had manic depression or culture is broken."
bipolar disorder. Recurring episodes throughout her life put
Woolf in contact with at least 12 doctors, giving her insight into
their changing methods for treating mental illness. In her work
h Characters
she would often write from the perspective of mentally ill
characters and also examine psychiatry's failures.

Woolf began her career as a teacher and journalist. She Clarissa Dalloway
befriended intellectuals Lytton Strachey, Clive Bell, and
Leonard Woolf (whom she married in 1912). They formed the Clarissa is loving, compassionate, social, and skeptical, with a
core of the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of writers, artists, and deep reserve of intelligence and melancholy. Though she loves
thinkers, which also included E.M. Forster, John Maynard life, she thinks often about death and terrible events that might
Keynes, Duncan Grant, and Woolf's sister, Vanessa Bell. The happen. Nostalgia and pain, especially when thinking of Peter
group met periodically from 1907 to 1930. In 1911 Woolf, Walsh and Sally Seton, affect even happy memories. She has
unmarried, lived in a house with other Bloomsbury Group grown more subdued and conventional since her radical youth.
males, a choice that upset her family. Well dressed and married to a conservative politician, she is
concerned with keeping her rank in society. Physically, she is
Woolf used both experimental and traditional styles in her
slim, pale, and vivacious. Her neighbor compares her to a blue
novels, beginning with The Voyage Out in 1915. Her varied
jay.
techniques led readers to call her "the multiple Mrs. Woolf."
Mrs. Dalloway, Jacob's Room, and To the Lighthouse are
Woolf's three major modernist novels of the 1920s. She
developed a new aesthetic in these books, part of her goal of
Septimus Warren Smith
reforming the traditional novel. A committed feminist, Woolf
Septimus, a former poet, has a naturally contemplative and
wanted to put the interior lives of women on the page. Mrs.
reflective personality. Physically, he is "pale-faced" and "beak-
Dalloway also deals with the impact of World War I, a world-
nosed" with hazel eyes. After World War I, in which he saw the
changing event that pushed many writers into the Modernist
death of his friend and comrade Evans, Septimus suffers from
era.
severe shell shock. He loses his ability to connect to emotions,
She had intimate relationships with women throughout her life, and his thoughts become scattered and frantic. He also suffers
most significantly with poet and novelist Vita Sackville-West, frequent flashbacks.
whom Woolf met in 1922. Sackville-West was a glamorous
outsider, similar to Sally Seton in Mrs. Dalloway. Though the
women shared a deep emotional bond, neither openly Peter Walsh
identified as lesbian. Woolf stay married to Leonard Woolf until
her death. Peter is intelligent, critical, and discontented with the status
quo. He proposed marriage to Clarissa before the novel
She slid into a deep depression in the 1940s. The deaths of

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Characters 4

begins, but she rejected him and married Richard. He still loves
Clarissa deeply but rejects what he considers her worldliness
and desire for wealth. His time in India has given him a different
perspective on world affairs, and he considers people around
him small-minded.

Richard Dalloway
Richard is a practical, kind man. His inner life is not as
tormented or complicated as the lives of the other main
characters. He believes in the values of the Conservative party
and enjoys simple pleasures like the country and dogs. He is
deeply devoted to his wife and daughter.

Elizabeth Dalloway
Elizabeth is quiet and introspective. She loves nature, the
country, and animals, and prefers solitude to parties. She has
an unusual, dark beauty, with wide-set eyes. Despite her
multiple suitors, she has no interest in a relationship. She is
curious about the world and longs for more freedom.

Rezia Warren Smith

Lucrezia misses Italy and longs for a child. She is supportive of
Septimus and tries to help ground him to the real world. She
and Septimus have a tense marriage, mostly because of his
shell shock and flights of imagination, but she loves him and
considers most of her memories to be happy. She is petite and
has "large eyes in a sallow pointed face."

Sally Seton
Sally was an outsider at Clarissa's youthful gatherings, but her
intelligence and wit quickly endeared her to Peter and Clarissa.
She spoke her mind frequently, setting her apart from other
women of the time, who behaved with traditional decorum. She
and Clarissa had an intimate emotional relationship,
culminating in a kiss. Later she marries a well-established man
and has five children, choosing a conventional life despite her
radical youth.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Characters 5

Character Map

Septimus Warren
Smith
Former soldier struggling
with war-induced stress
Spouses

Peter Walsh Doubles

Rezia Warren Smith
English bureaucrat returned Lonely Italian hatmaker
from India

Ex-lovers

Clarissa Dalloway
Friends High-society woman with
rich inner life

Ex-lovers Spouses

Sally Seton Mother

Richard Dalloway
Charming, daring housewife Practical government
employee

Father

Elizabeth Dalloway
Quiet, studious teenager

Main Character

Other Major Character

Minor Character

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Characters 6

Full Character List Mr. Bowley, living in London, notices

the motorcar and feels a surge of
Mr. Bowley
British patriotism as he watches the
unity of the crowd.
Character Description

Once independent, Lady Bradshaw

Clarissa Dalloway is the title character
Lady now follows the will of her husband,
Clarissa and the novel's protagonist. She is a
Bradshaw having lost her personality in marriage
Dalloway wealthy Englishwoman in her early
through "conversion."
fifties and frequent party host.

Septimus's rich and famous

Septimus is a World War I veteran in
Septimus psychiatrist, Sir William Bradshaw
his thirties. He now lives in London and
Warren Smith believes in "proportion" in treating
is married to Lucrezia.
Sir William patients and shows a "natural respect
Bradshaw for breeding and clothing"; he dislikes
Peter Walsh is an English bureaucrat intellectuals and is irked by the
Peter Walsh shabbily dressed and pompous
who spent many years in India.
Septimus.

Richard is Clarissa's well-​to-​do

Richard Joseph Breitkopf is a fellow guest at
politician husband. He works for the Joseph
Dalloway Bourton during Clarissa and Peter's
Conservative party. Breitkopf
youthful summer there.

Elizabeth is Clarissa and Richard's 17-

Elizabeth Mr. Brewer is an auctioneer and was
year-​old daughter. She studies history Mr. Brewer
Dalloway Septimus's employer before the war.
with a private tutor.

Rezia's full name is Lucrezia Warren Sir John Brockhurst is a London judge
Rezia Warren Smith. She is Septimus's Italian wife, Sir John waiting to cross the street, along with
Smith whom he married in Milan after his Brockhurst Clarissa, when the motorcar interrupts
military service. traffic.

Sally is a charismatic, adventurous Milly Brush Milly Brush is Lady Bruton's secretary.
friend of Clarissa's. After she marries,
Sally Seton
she is sometimes referred to as Lady
Smart, well-​respected, and politically
Rosseter.
involved, Lady Bruton—also referred to
by her first name, Millicent—is a friend
A Greenwich man who sees the Lady Bruton of the Dalloways, who works with
airplane while gardening, Mr. Bentley citizens who want to emigrate to
Mr. Bentley Canada; she believes England should
believes the plane is a symbol of man's
soul. do more for veterans.

"Slow and stately," with leathery skin, A mother standing outside

Lady Bexborough is a shop and bazaar Buckingham Palace when the airplane
Lady Emily Coates
owner in London, whom Clarissa arrives, Mrs. Emily Coates is the first to
Bexborough notice the letters in smoke.
admires for her composure and
maturity.
Miss Miss Cummings is a summer guest at
Mrs. Sarah Bletchley is a mother who Cummings Bourton with Clarissa, Peter, and Sally.
Sarah
observes the airplane and the letters it
Bletchley
is forming.
Fraulein Daniels was Clarissa's old
Fraulein
tutor, whom Clarissa thinks failed to
Daniels
prepare her well for life.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Characters 7

Mrs. Dempster is a disillusioned, elderly Elizabeth Dalloway's embittered

Mrs. Dempster
woman in London. history tutor, Miss Doris Kilman feels
denied of life's pleasures, the only ones
she allows herself being food and
A strong and devoted soldier who Elizabeth's company. Miss Kilman is a
recognized Septimus's abilities, Evans religious, self-​righteous Christian, who
was Septimus's commanding officer, gives to charitable causes in other
Evans
who died in Italy during World War I; he countries and lives an austere life
frequently appears in Septimus's Miss Kilman
herself. Ethnically she is part German,
postwar flashbacks and nightmares. and her loyalty to the Germans causes
tension in England after World War I.
The Warren Smiths' neighbor and a Self-​consciously poor, she resents
client in Rezia's hat-​making business, Clarissa Dalloway's luxurious life. She
Mrs. Filmer wears an unflattering green
Mrs. Filmer is Rezia's only friend in
London. mackintosh coat over her short, stocky
body all year long.

Mr. Fletcher is a fellow churchgoer at

Mr. Fletcher Lucy is the Dalloways' maid who
Miss Kilman's church.
admires Clarissa, takes pride in her
Lucy
work, and appreciates beauty and
Mrs. Gorham is a fellow churchgoer at order.
Mrs. Gorham
Miss Kilman's church.

Elise Mitchell is the young girl who runs

Elise Mitchell
Sir Harry Sir Harry is a guest at Clarissa's party. into Rezia's legs in Regent's Park.

Poor, timid Ellie Henderson is Mr. Morris Mr. Morris is a guest at Peter's hotel.
Ellie
Clarissa's 50-​something cousin, who is
Henderson
nervous around her wealthy relatives.
In London Peter encounters the
unnamed old woman who he believes
Mrs. Hilberry is a guest at Clarissa's Old woman is singing to her dead lover. The song
Mrs. Hilberry
party. singing reminds Peter of the eternal nature of
love, which will outlast all the
generations of people in London.
Although energetic and skillful,
Septimus's general physician, Dr.
Holmes, lacks compassion and A former botanist with a glass eye,
believes patients should work to heal Helena Parry is Clarissa's elderly aunt
themselves. Because of his Aunt Helena who lived in Burma; she represents an
condescending manner and dismissal Parry older, more regimented English society
Dr. Holmes
of their symptoms, his and was appalled by Sally's radical
patients—including Septimus—dislike behavior at Bourton.
him. Dr. Holmes's insistence on
entering the Warren Smith home and
institutionalizing Septimus lead to Mrs. Peters is Mrs. Filmer's married
Septimus's suicide. daughter, whom Rezia dislikes but puts
Mrs. Peters
up with because of her mother's
kindness.
Maisie Maisie Johnson is a working-​class girl
Johnson in London.
A lecturer on Shakespeare, Isabel Pole
is a literary expert who noticed
Isabel Pole Septimus's talent and served as a
muse for Septimus before the war and
his mentor when he comes to London.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Plot Summary 8

Moll Pratt is an Irish flower seller who

sees the motorcar drive by and
k Plot Summary
Moll Pratt
considers throwing roses into the
street. Mrs. Dalloway begins on a Wednesday in June 1923 in
Westminster, in central London, as a middle-aged society
A figurehead in the English woman, Clarissa Dalloway, goes to buy flowers for a party that
Prime minister government, the prime minister attends
night. She walks through the Westminster section of London,
Clarissa's party.
passes Buckingham Palace, cuts through St. James's Park,
crosses Piccadilly, and heads to Bond Street. A mysterious
Scrope Purvis is the Dalloways'
Scrope Purvis motorcar drives down the street, and an airplane appears in
neighbor.
the sky. Westminster residents and visitors, all shaken by the
Practical, kind, knowledgeable about recent atrocities of World War I, speculate about the car and
flower arranging, and undisturbed by airplane. Veteran Septimus Warren Smith and his wife, Rezia,
the backfiring motorcar, Miss Pym are especially alarmed.
assists Clarissa at Mulberry's, the
Miss Pym
flower shop where Clarissa buys
flowers. Clarissa has known Miss Pym Clarissa's old lover, Peter Walsh, visits her and asks if she's
for years and notices her advancing happy. Clarissa thinks of Peter and another former lover, Sally
age. Seton. Later that morning Peter goes to the park and has a
suggestive dream. Recently returned from five years in India,
Dark, charming Daisy Simmons is an he notices many changes in London.
Daisy English expatriate in India who is
Simmons married, has two children, and is in love Septimus and Rezia see a new psychiatrist, Sir William
with Peter Walsh.
Bradshaw. Septimus is considering suicide and frequently
hallucinates, seeing his commanding officer, Evans, who died in
Sylvia is Clarissa's sister who died in an
Sylvia the war. Bradshaw recommends Septimus be taken alone to a
accident when she was young.
rest home.

Edgar J. Watkiss is a London resident

Clarissa's husband, Richard Dalloway, has lunch with politically
Edgar J. who points out the motorcar as "the
Watkiss Prime Minister's" car; Septimus involved friends Lady Bruton and Hugh Whitbread. They write a
overhears him. letter to the newspaper about emigration (Lady Bruton's
project) and honoring the war dead. Richard returns home with
Evelyn Whitbread suffers from flowers for Clarissa. In the afternoon Elizabeth, Richard and
Evelyn ailments that keep her housebound; Clarissa's daughter, goes shopping with her history tutor, Miss
Whitbread her devoted husband, Hugh, buys her
expensive presents. Kilman. While Miss Kilman goes to the church at Westminster
Abbey, Elizabeth rides the omnibus to the Strand.
A governmental functionary and an old
friend of Clarissa's, Hugh dresses well Later that afternoon Septimus relaxes at home while Rezia
Hugh and respects those with high political works. When Septimus becomes alarmed by another
Whitbread status, although several characters, flashback, Rezia tells him nothing will separate the two of
such as Sally and Peter, find him vain
them. Septimus's old doctor, Dr. Holmes, shows up at the
and pretentious.
house, agitating the couple. Feeling cornered, Septimus jumps
out of the window, hitting the fence below and killing himself.
Rev. Edward The Rev. Edward Whittaker is the
Whittaker clergyman at Miss Kilman's church.
Peter receives a letter from Clarissa, expressing how glad she
was to see him. He decides to attend her party. Feeling alone
among the many guests, Clarissa hears from Lady Bradshaw
about Septimus's death. Though she never met Septimus,
Clarissa feels sympathetic toward him. Reflecting on his death
makes her realize all she has and all her life with Richard has

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Plot Summary 9

given her. She sheds her feelings of failure and rejoins the
party.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Plot Summary 10

Plot Diagram

Climax

7
Falling Action
6
Rising Action
5 8

4
9
3
Resolution
2
1

Introduction

7. Septimus commits suicide after Dr. Holmes's visit.

Introduction

1. Clarissa thinks she hears a pistol at the flower shop.

Falling Action

8. Peter decides to attend Clarissa's party.

Rising Action

2. London residents notice the motorcar and airplane.

Resolution
3. Peter visits Clarissa.
9. Clarissa hears of Septimus's death at her party.
4. Septimus sees Evans in the park.

5. Septimus and Rezia visit Dr. Bradshaw.

6. Richard brings flowers to Clarissa.

Climax

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Plot Summary 11

Timeline of Events

Early morning

Clarissa buys flowers.

Late morning

The motorcar drives down Bond Street.

11:00 a.m.

Peter visits Clarissa.

11:45 a.m.

Septimus sees Evans in the park.

Noon

Septimus and Rezia visit Bradshaw.

1:30 p.m–2:30 p.m.

Lady Bruton has lunch with Richard and Hugh.

3:00 p.m.

Richard brings flowers to Clarissa.

Late afternoon–6:00 p.m.

Septimus commits suicide.

Early evening

Clarissa's party begins.

Late evening–3:00 a.m.

Clarissa hears of Septimus's death at her party.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 12

live her life over again—she'd be more "dignified" and "sincere."

c Section Summaries She frequently makes decisions based on what other people
will think, rather than deciding independently, as her husband
For the purpose of analysis this study guide breaks the text does. She looks into the window of a glove shop and considers
into sections based on shifts in point of view. buying gloves. Her daughter, Elizabeth, doesn't like gloves or
shoes as her mother does. Elizabeth prefers her dog and is
devoted to studying with her history tutor, Miss Kilman.
Section 1 Clarissa dislikes Miss Kilman, who is dedicated to helping other
countries but lives a simple life of "positive torture" to herself.
She recognizes that her feelings toward Miss Kilman represent
the "brutal monster" of mental illness and self-torture inside
Summary
her, rather than anything specific to Miss Kilman herself.

Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway decides to buy flowers on her own for a

Shrugging her dark thoughts off as "nonsense," Clarissa enters
party she's giving that night. It's a Wednesday in June 1923.
Mulberry's, the flower shop, on Bond Street; Miss Pym greets
She remembers summers spent in Bourton when she was 18.
her. Clarissa, overcome by the beauty of the flower shop, is
Now she feels as she did then—that despite the lovely, trouble-
happily selecting flowers when she hears what she thinks is a
free day, something awful is about to happen. She has lived in
pistol in the street outside. Miss Pym reassures her that what
Westminster for about 20 years and still feels suspense before
she heard was only a motorcar.
Big Ben, the large Westminster clock, strikes the hour. She
walks down Victoria Street toward the flower shop and
observes the colorful chaos of London, noticing the omnibuses Analysis
and carriages on the ground and airplanes overhead. She is
grateful that World War I, which ended almost five years Woolf immediately gives the reader contradictions in Clarissa
earlier, is over. Dalloway's life and character. She is wealthy enough for
servants, yet does some work herself; she appreciates the
In St. James's Park, Clarissa runs into old friend Hugh
beauty in flowers and a fresh June morning, yet she worries
Whitbread, and they exchange pleasantries. Hugh is in London
about impending terrible events, as symbolized in the airplanes
so his wife, Evelyn, can see a doctor. Hugh promises to come
flying overhead. The contradictions reveal that Clarissa's inner
to Clarissa's party. Seeing Hugh makes Clarissa think of
life, like the inner lives of the characters to be introduced, is
another old friend, Peter Walsh, with whom she spent time in
complicated and worthy of attention. Despite her solitary
Bourton. Though she argued with Peter frequently, she misses
motions throughout this section, she feels a sense of kinship to
him. Clarissa reminds herself she had been right not to marry
others. She identifies with the "most dejected of miseries
Peter. Her life with her husband, Richard Dalloway, is more
sitting on doorsteps" and the government's failure to take care
peaceful and private. Peter compelled her to share everything.
of them, especially after the war.
When she found out, however, that Peter had married a woman
he met on the boat to India, she was horrified. She considers The musical cadence of the sentences as Woolf describes
this marriage an example of Peter's failed choices in life. London "in the swing, tramp, and trudge; in the bellow and the
uproar," show the constant motion of the city and its role as an
At the gates to Green Park near Piccadilly, Clarissa stops. She
object of beauty in Clarissa's life. Motor vehicles, still fairly new
wonders whether her life and death will matter. On Piccadilly
in 1923, as well as planes, play an important role in the London
she reads a book in a shop window with a quotation from
background—they signify change, fear, and awe.
Shakespeare: "Fear no more the heat o' the sun/Nor the
furious winter's rages." The war and the changes in the world Hugh represents to Clarissa an idealized London where politics
have bred "tears and sorrow" in many people, she considers. works—a concept she's not sure she believes in. Her family of
She looks for a book to give to Evelyn Whitbread but cannot "courtiers" might be English aristocracy, but Clarissa is not
find one she likes. content with marrying a prime minister and being the "perfect
hostess." Rather, she is considering the lives that might have
Clarissa considers what she would do differently if she could

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 13

been. This concept, imagining how a life would be different if already suffered plenty. Why not enjoy earthly pleasures?
one or two important details were changed, recurs throughout
the novel. For instance, Clarissa and Peter wonder about their Clarissa's appreciation of the flowers at Miss Pym's shop and

lost life together. Though she appreciates the space Richard of the merchandise in the other shop windows reflects this

gives her, and the separateness of their lives (she doesn't ask enjoyment. The loving description of the flowers' diverse colors

Richard about his job), Clarissa seems to long for the deep and scents, and the pastoral scenes they recall, adds to the

connection she would have shared—and still does—with Peter. color imagery that pervades the novel. Woolf juxtaposes this
scene with the violent, surprising image of a pistol shot in the
The opening section also begins to consult two major themes: street. The motorcar represents the rapid advance of
age and mortality along with the passage of time. Clarissa feels technology, making the city unrecognizable from previous
like an outsider in her own life; an observer rather than a years.
participant, "far out to sea." This view of life is an essentially
Modernist one, which Woolf's fragmented style reflects. The
loss of control of the narrative, and the sense of the narrative's Section 2
end upon death, fuels many of the major characters' stream of
consciousness thoughts. Clarissa imagines she is invisible
already, known only as her husband's wife.
Summary
Clarissa's thought process may be hard to follow. In one
Other London citizens near the flower shop hear the explosion
moment she thinks about how dangerous life can be; in
of the motorcar and spread rumors about whose car it is.
another she prides herself on her gift of knowing people; in
Bystander Edgar J. Watkiss jokes that it's the prime minister's
another she imagines her life's path if she looked healthier and
car. Nearby, Septimus Warren Smith overhears him. As other
showed interest in politics. In a way she has lived several
bystanders, including Mrs. Dalloway, watch the car slow to a
alternate lives in less than an hour. The rapid changes in
stop, Septimus feels rooted to the ground. His wife, Rezia
Clarissa's thoughts show time can pass quickly internally, a
Warren Smith, urges him to keep moving. Septimus snaps at
result of memory and projection, within a small amount of time
her. She is dismayed because Septimus threatened to kill
in the real world.
himself earlier. Rezia helps Septimus cross the street as the
Woolf often adds references to real-time action in motorcar drives toward Piccadilly.
parentheses, like the policeman holding up his hand while
Every Londoner in the street can tell that someone important is
Clarissa is in a reverie crossing the street. This style implies
in the car; the narrator muses the occupant will be known only
that inner thought is more important than outer events—that
after everyone there that day is long dead. Clarissa Dalloway
characters create their own realities.
thinks the occupant is the Queen. She watches the car depart
Clarissa's anticipation of "interminable talk of women's and notices how crowded the street has become. For 30
ailments" reveals that women focus on their interior lives. The seconds, all the strangers on the street are occupied, noticing
force of cultural expectation also drives this talk; upper-class the same event; afterward, they feel changed. Their ordinary
women, who can afford expensive treatments, are permitted day disrupted, Londoners think "of the dead, of the flag, of
and even encouraged to be frail and weak. Evelyn Whitbread Empire."
and Clarissa Dalloway are two examples. Clarissa seems to
As the car continues down St. James's Street, more London
despise this expectation, even though she participates in it
citizens feel patriotic and supportive of the government. Some
through her own illness.
salute, and others gather at Buckingham Palace, eager to see
The reference to Clarissa's distaste for Miss Kilman shows the royalty. One man, Mr. Bowley, feels sentimental thinking of the
diminishing role of the church in London society in general, and dead in the war.
in Clarissa's life in particular. Clarissa does not see the need
An airplane appears in the sky. The white trail indicates that
for sacrificial religious gestures. Miss Kilman represents an
the airplane is writing letters, and the observers try to make
austerity and devotion that has fallen by the wayside after the
out the word it's writing. Sitting in Regent's Park, Rezia tries to
war. God did not prevent the war; besides, the English had

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 14

get Septimus to look up at the airplane. Septimus thinks the Woolf also knows England's greatness and empire cannot last
plane is signaling to him and becomes overjoyed. He soon forever. She reminds the reader that everyone on the street
begins to feel the trees around him are alive. The sparrows in that June day will die, flashing far forward into a future in which
the park and the sounds around him blend to create a strong the city is "a grass-grown path" and its occupants nothing but
sensation. He gets up to walk, despite Rezia's pleas for him to bones. The jump to Clarissa's observations signifies that the
stay where he is. daily and trivial can stand beside the monumental; small
moments and large ones are equally important.
Rezia despairs that Septimus will never get well. She feels
alone in her love for him. Though he fought bravely, he's now Class distinctions create much of the conflict in this section.
considering suicide, which confuses and troubles her. Their The possibly royal occupant of the motorcar is permitted to
doctor, Dr. Holmes, has insisted nothing is the matter with pass by the traffic. The middle-class Londoners sit impatiently
Septimus, which troubles Rezia more. She's lost enough weight in omnibuses. The poor residents wait at Buckingham Palace
that her wedding ring falls off. She thinks about her sisters in for a glimpse of the royalty that fascinates them. The
Italy and the life in the streets there, comparing Italy's vitality to reference to the "heavenly life divinely bestowed" on the royal
the somber solitude of England. Septimus continues to talk family indicates Londoners' fading but still present belief in the
aloud to himself. He sees his commanding officer, Evans, historical concept of the divine right of kings, which is the
behind the railings and calls out to him. belief that the monarchy receives its power from God and that
any attempt to criticize or remove the ruling monarch is
Maisie Johnson asks the couple for directions to the tube sacrilegious.
station at Regent's Park and is dismayed by their "queer"
behavior. In London for the first time at age 19, she is By juxtaposing Septimus's chaotic thoughts with the more
overwhelmed and horrified by the city. Mrs. Dempster, eating mundane observations of Clarissa and other characters—the
lunch in the park, thinks about how naïve Maisie Johnson is. traffic, the letters written by the airplane—Woolf shows that
Mrs. Dempster has had a hard life but still longs to travel and reality is, in some ways, subjective. Everyone is paying
admires the airplane overhead. Mr. Bentley, a man in attention to a different aspect of the same scene. Individuals'
Greenwich, thinks the plane proves man's soul and ideas are informed by their own ages, their countries, and
determination. histories. The technique of showing the same scene from
multiple points of view is an aspect of Modernist
An unnamed "seedy-looking" man, who is possibly a homeless experimentation.
veteran, observes the plane outside St. Paul's Cathedral. He
considers the "tombs with banners waving" that the military
represents, and the welcome he's found in the church. The
airplane is shown to be spelling the first few letters of toffee.
Section 3

Analysis Summary
This panoramic scene brings all of London together and Resting at home, Clarissa feels content in the moment. She

introduces the reader to several of its working-class outsiders. attributes her happiness in life to companionship—her

The "dove gray" car, with its mysterious occupant, represents servants, pets, and husband. Lucy gives Clarissa the message

formality, British royalty, and leadership. Septimus, stalled in a that Lady Millicent Bruton has asked Richard to lunch. Clarissa

crowd, feels horrified by the gathering of people. Woolf is shocked that she wasn't invited. She fears time passing by

describes the crowd scene through Septimus's eyes: the heat, too quickly, and retreats upstairs to her attic room where she

the pulse. The effect on readers is to make them feel changes out of her fancy going-out wardrobe. Clarissa

apprehensive, being plunged into the paranoia and constantly considers something that's both troubling and amazing—her

shifting images of Septimus's point of view, as seen in his strong romantic attraction to women. Particularly, she thinks of

reaction to the symbols of the plane and trees. an old friend named Sally Seton and wonders if they were in
love.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 15

Clarissa recalls how she met Sally at a party. She was struck Clarissa shares few interests with Lady Bruton and is aware
by Sally's "dark, large-eyed" beauty and ability to say and do their relationship will be short-lived—both are getting older.
whatever she felt like. When they were both young, Sally came The extended metaphor of a diver in the sea proves how lost
to stay with Clarissa and her friends in Bourton. Sally was Clarissa feels; water often represents rapid change in the
penniless and fleeing an argument at her house. The two novel, change the characters aren't prepared for. As Clarissa
women bonded quickly and stayed up late talking about ways advances to her narrow attic room, she feels she's advancing
to "reform the world." Sally encouraged Clarissa to read widely toward death, where the experiences she treasures will
and shared her gift of arranging flowers. Once, memorably, disappear.
Sally ran naked through a passage after forgetting the sponge
for her bath. Her respect for the wisdom of nature encourages her
acceptance, amid confusion, of her deep feelings for Sally
The moment when Sally kissed her on the lips was the Seton. Homosexuality was still heavily stigmatized in Woolf's
happiest of Clarissa's life and still is. She was horrified to run London, and Clarissa can't clearly imagine an alternate life with
into Peter Walsh immediately afterward. Now, Clarissa realizes Sally the way she imagines one with Peter. Sally represents a
she's grateful to Peter for many things. She wonders if Peter freedom and abandonment that are evolving in the new
will think she's grown older, and she considers her face in the postwar era. Sally disregards traditional gender roles, argues
mirror. She gets out her silver-green evening dress and enthusiastically about intellectual topics, and doesn't put on
admires it. airs and performances as other guests do. Clarissa, constantly
concerned with what others think, admires Sally's genuineness
At 11:00 a.m. the front door bell rings, unexpectedly. It's Peter the way she admires Richard's independence. She also
Walsh, insistent upon seeing Clarissa. She notes that he looks romanticizes Sally's youthful poverty in her mind.
exactly the same after five years. They greet each other
happily but criticize each other internally. They discuss their She sees all the emotions of Peter's jealous interruption of her
long-ago time at Bourton. Clarissa wonders what she has kiss with Sally as quickly as "a landscape in a flash of
made of her life to show Peter, while he feels privately that he's lightning"—another manipulation of time. Peter himself is
a failure. impatient, restless, and critical; yet the reader sympathizes
with his love for Clarissa and his constant search for answers.
Peter confesses to Clarissa he's in love. He's met a married His unhappiness at Bourton, symbolized by his focus on the
woman named Daisy Simmons in India. Married himself, Peter moon, contrasts with Clarissa's happy memories. But the two
has come to London to arrange for a divorce. Clarissa fears are clearly alike. They critique each other internally like old
he's wasting his life but feels sympathetic in his company. friends, they're both afraid of being seen as failures, and
Peter asks Clarissa if she's happy. Before Clarissa can answer, they're both clearheaded, individualistic thinkers who doubt
Elizabeth enters the room, and then Big Ben strikes the half- their life choices. They understand each other intuitively.
hour. Peter leaves in a hurry as Clarissa calls out to him to
remember her party. On the outside Peter seems to be falling apart. He's
unemployed, and he's divorcing the wife he hastily married so
he can be with another married woman, all the while still pining
Analysis for Clarissa. He resents Richard's "smugness" and stability, his
steadfastness that Clarissa seems to crave. The reader
Clarissa Dalloway, like Septimus Warren Smith, thinks of trees, wonders what their life would have been like if Clarissa had
reinforcing the strength of the symbol. The nature in her accepted his offer of marriage. Or does a stable, peaceful life
imagination, the "tree of life" collecting moments as buds, is a matter more to her than a passionate, romantic one? She has
more peaceful metaphor than Septimus's dark images. Clarissa taken the stable path, Peter has taken the passionate one, and
is thinking of ways she can give back to the world; she's been each of them envies the other's choice while thinking it is
given the richness of life, meaningful relationships, and foolish.
beautiful possessions. Her desire to make an offering of
gratitude begins here and will recur as she speaks to Lucy and Clarissa, meanwhile, realizes that even if Peter is unsettled and
later figures out the purpose of her parties. unhappy, he is still doing meaningful work. Can a housewife,

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 16

whose life is concentrated in the domestic sphere, find his own life, like Clarissa. He challenges these feelings through
meaning in her tasks? Lucy does; she admires Clarissa's sense romantic pursuit. His fantasies are like a storybook; he
of beauty and order and takes pride in a well-kept home. imagines himself as an adventurer, freshly returned from India,
Clarissa is still searching for meaning. She considers her a land Londoners considered exotic. He tells himself a story
imagined life with Peter as "the five acts of a play," already about the young men serving bravely in the war—a story he
over—time passing fluidly, again. himself wants to hear.

The cloud passing over the sun, a recurring image, signifies

Section 4 changes in mood for the characters. The "voice of the hostess"
that follows, a metaphor for the clock at St. Margaret's, clearly
represents Clarissa and her struggle to find her individual
voice—between "grief for the past" and "concern for the
Summary present." Peter's observation that women attach themselves to
places also recalls Clarissa's love of place, and the meaning
Peter Walsh walks toward the street as Big Ben chimes 11:30
that spots like the flower shop, the house in Bourton, and her
a.m. He feels Clarissa Dalloway has grown both "hard" and
own Westminster home have to her.
"sentimental," and that she's refused him. The bells of St.
Margaret's sound, reminding Peter of Clarissa's punctuality and Peter treasures the civilization the city represents. He is critical
her frequent illnesses. He sees soldiers marching by and feels of England's wide-ranging empire and its tendency to take over
he can no longer keep up with the young men, physically or countries like India. But Peter appreciates the workers who
intellectually. He considers the great "renunciation" he's made make society thrive, such as "doctors and men of business and
by choosing a bureaucratic career, and worries about his capable women." As the reader will find out, not all do their
divorce. work perfectly. But Peter admires "the show" and its
appearance of order.
Since few people know he's in London, Peter feels
unencumbered and free. Enjoying this new freedom, he sees
an attractive young woman in Trafalgar Square and begins to
follow her home. He feels a connection, assuming from her
Section 5
clothing and her red carnation that she's witty and respectable.
After the woman enters her house, Peter decides to walk to
Regent's Park. He sits down in the park beside a nurse, still Summary
thinking of Clarissa and her daughter Elizabeth and their odd
habits. He naps on the park bench. As Peter Walsh rests in the park, he dreams about a solitary
traveler. The traveler is an atheist, wandering through the
woods. He envisions watchful companions, like a "giant figure"
Analysis before him. The traveler, surrounded by miserable strangers, is
enraptured by visions of a beautiful woman. Though he knows
Like Clarissa, Peter feels strong connections with strangers. the woman is an illusion, made of "sky and branches," he feels
He creates "the better part of [his] life" in his mind. Peter she exists as long as he imagines her. The visions comfort him
believes, as do the Modernist writers, that people can take as he searches for "charity, comprehension, absolution." He
control of their own narrative, write their lives, make up their never wants to return to the ordinary world.
stories. The price for these unique perspectives, though, is
At the edge of the forest, the traveler comes to a house in a
remaining alone.
village. An elderly woman, whose sons have been killed in
He first follows a group of soldiers, imagining what the young battle, waits for him there. The village is filled with calm
men think and feel about their "renunciation" or sacrifice to the trappings of normalcy, like gardens and flowers in windowsills.
war—projecting his own idea of England and its noble military The traveler fears the villagers are waiting patiently to be
onto them. Then he follows a strange woman to her apartment, completely destroyed and have accepted their fate. When the
idealizing her in his head. Peter feels unmoored, an observer to elderly woman speaks to him, he doesn't know whom to reply

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 17

to. real difference, Clarissa said she'd never be able to speak to

the housemaid again. To Peter this reaction marked the death
of Clarissa's soul.
Analysis
That night at dinner, a man named Dalloway came to the
Peter's dream reveals his desire for a woman, or a feminine Bourton house. Peter saw him talking to Clarissa and knew
energy, to save him, reinforcing the symbol of trees as Clarissa would marry him—her manner toward Dalloway was
mysterious femininity. He admires women and associates easy and gentle. Peter grew jealous. Peter realizes now the
virtues like charity and compassion with the women in his life. absurdity of his "demands upon Clarissa." He recalls the
He equates this salvation and understanding with moment when he knew Clarissa was serious about Dalloway.
nature—specifically trees and water. When Peter encounters a Peter pulled Clarissa aside to talk and asked for the truth.
real old woman later in the book, he'll have a similar Clarissa told him her relationship with Peter had to end. Peter,
otherworldly vision associated with her. angry, left Bourton that night and never saw her again.

At 53 Peter, too, is feeling the approach of old age. He goes

toward the vision eagerly, knowing it will mean death and the Analysis
end of all life's mundane, pleasurable activities. Considering his
legacy he now sees the strangers around him as "feeble" and The melancholy persistence of memory is a theme Modernist
"craven" people who don't desire a better life. Between writers and artists have explored. Peter's past blends into his
countries, he views himself as a constant traveler. The present. In the past he was annoyed with Clarissa for being
traveling dream reflects the movement of characters worldly, overdressed, and so wedded to social convention that
throughout the novel. Everyone is wandering; no one quite she was unable to think for herself. Calling her "the perfect
feels settled or at home. hostess" is an insult. He recalls the same time that Clarissa
remembered earlier at Bourton, but his memories are
Despite Peter's atheism he feels in awe of an extraordinary different—almost of a different experience entirely. He
divine force. The war upended many traditionally held beliefs, remembers feeling stigmatized, like an outsider. Peter may
expanding definitions of God. When Woolf asks, "But to whom have realized things about Clarissa she didn't know about
does the solitary traveler make reply?" she implies that the herself, like her love for Richard and the way she frightened
divine force is unknowable. Age and death linger in Peter's people.
dream. The woman advances in age from a young presence to
an older mother, who greets Peter in the village house. The Like Clarissa he remembers youthful, returned affection in
narrator quietly acknowledges the war dead—this matriarch is Bourton as his life's happiest moment (though his memory is
the mother to all the young men who have been lost. Peter, with Clarissa, and Clarissa's is with Sally). He attaches deep
aware of his participation in British imperialism, subconsciously importance to his emotions, in a way that seems almost
acknowledges the war dead, too. hyperbolic (overblown) and childish but deeply honest. He
recalls the physical details vividly, such as the fountain and the
green moss.
Section 6
Section 7
Summary
Peter Walsh wakes up, repeating the phrase "The death of the Summary
soul." He realizes the house in his dream is connected to the
Bourton house where he stayed long ago, during the summer Peter is disturbed by his memories but thinks the day is still
when he loved Clarissa. He recalls Clarissa's primness and fear beautiful and "one got over things." He sees little Elise Mitchell
at hearing the news that a housemaid had given birth to a baby run into Rezia's legs and laughs. Meanwhile Rezia is missing
out of wedlock. When Sally Seton asked if the baby made any Milan, where her sisters still live. She feels she and Septimus

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 18

are too self-pitying; everyone lost friends in the war, and many notices. By contrast she's consumed with worry about him.
have been separated from their families. She worries about Rezia's position emphasizes both the difficult role of caregivers
Septimus's casual mentions of suicide. Septimus then notices to veterans, and the subordinate role of wives to husbands.
Rezia has taken off her wedding ring. She claims she's lost so When she thinks constantly about her suffering, she's
much weight it no longer fits, and she has the ring in her purse. beginning the process of "conversion" into Septimus's mindset.
Septimus thinks she has already decided to end the marriage
and feels relieved. The "ode to Time" that Septimus sings shows his perception of
time as malleable and, for him, focused on ever-present
Septimus sees a dog in the park and fears the dog is turning moments in the war. The "giant mourner" he pictures is a
into a man. He believes the heat of June helps him "see into the power larger than humans, an almost godlike deity. (This
future." Observing the park, Septimus pays attention to the continues the divine mourning theme of Peter's dream.)
flowers and leaves, feeling the earth moving beneath him. He Septimus believes it takes a "colossal" power to mourn the war
can see the music a man is playing on his penny whistle dead. Human mourning is inadequate for what he has lost.
outside the public house. Despite the beauty he notices
everywhere, Septimus feels something awful is about to
happen. Rezia interrupts him and asks the time. Septimus sees Section 8
Evans emerging from behind a tree and warning him that the
war dead are rising. Septimus cries out to the man he thinks is
Evans, telling him not to come. Rezia, in vain, tries to make
Summary
Septimus sit down. Big Ben strikes 11:45 a.m.

Peter Walsh, passing Septimus and Rezia Warren Smith,

wonders what the young couple is fighting about. His five-year
Analysis absence from England has made him appreciate the civilization
and beauty of London. He's noticed some changes. Design and
This section shows the richness of Septimus's inner life and
art are everywhere; women are better dressed and apply
also portrays how unhinged he has become. Septimus's ability
makeup in public; people talk more openly about trivial topics.
to see music, and to project emotions onto nature, is a
He remembers his own open, rash, affectionate friend from
symptom of synesthesia—the ability to combine senses, like
long ago—Sally Seton. He found her refreshing. While Clarissa
hearing colors or seeing sounds. With the lush, poetic writing
and others admired Hugh Whitbread's charm, Sally felt he
style in this section it's possible for the reader to forget
represented "all that was most detestable in British middle-
momentarily that Septimus is damaged. He sees beauty just as
class life." Peter isn't fond of Hugh either. But Peter knows he
easily as he sees destruction. He sees death coming from
may have to ask Hugh or Richard Dalloway for a job now that
behind the symbolic life force of the tree. Woolf shows that
he's back in England. He needs a higher salary if he's going to
beauty and chaos, order and disorder, can exist side by side.
marry and support Daisy.

Septimus's deep fear of abandonment has some basis in fact.

Peter admires Dalloway's practicality and calm, which he can
Evans did abandon him; so did other important people in his
see appeals to Clarissa. Richard, however, doesn't have much
life, as the reader will learn later. His philosophical arguments
appreciation for the arts; he doesn't believe in reading
for suicide, and his placement of himself among the great
Shakespeare's sonnets, for instance. Long ago Clarissa
thinkers along with "Greeks, Romans, Shakespeare, [and]
considered Richard's disdain of poetry a mark of originality.
Darwin," show the logic of his delusional thinking; in a way he
Sally and Peter thought differently and escaped to the
believes he's a prophet. He can see truths no one else can see.
vegetable garden to discuss how men like Hugh and Richard

Rezia's gentle treatment of the child in the park reflects her would "stifle [the] soul." Though Peter admired Sally, he

own desire for a child. She's more of an outsider than couldn't stop thinking about Clarissa, who has a gift for making

Septimus. Rezia compares herself to a helpless bird and sees "a world of her own," wherever she is.

the trees, which Septimus admires, as "enormous" and nature

He reminds himself he's not in love with Clarissa any more.
as "indifferent." Her stress is acute, but Septimus barely
She's too worldly for him. He recalls her intellectual skepticism,

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 19

which increased after her sister Sylvia's accidental death. Yet unspoken anxieties about what comes next. The reason the
Clarissa still enjoys life, and Peter thinks she now may be in old woman's song moves him so much is its connection to an
love with him—just as he's begun to get over her. Peter reflects ancient time and a hope that the death of the body won't mean
that he doesn't feel he needs people at all at his age. Peter the death of the soul.
hears an old woman singing, in an ancient voice—a song of
syllables, with no words. The song seems to be eternal, lasting
until the end of time. The old woman, he imagines, is Section 9
remembering a lover who left her a long time ago. Peter gives
the woman money as he steps into a taxi. She smiles, and they
share a brief moment of connection.
Summary
Rezia sees the same old woman that Peter does. She pities the
Analysis woman and wonders where she'll sleep at night. She and
Septimus walk to visit a new doctor, Sir William Bradshaw.
Strangers cannot truly know one another. Peter (the man in the
Rezia is optimistic that Bradshaw can cure Septimus. The
gray suit on whom Septimus fixated in the park) thinks
narrator then tells Septimus's story. He once was an aspiring
distressed Septimus and Rezia are having a lovers' quarrel.
poet—unable to afford higher education, he's self-educated
Similarly, he is not sure what to make of London's movements
from public libraries. Because of a family conflict, Septimus left
into the modern world. Bolder fashion choices and comical
his home in Stroud at a young age and went to London. There
pieces in the newspaper could indicate freedom—or a loss of
he met a Shakespeare scholar named Miss Isabel Pole and fell
order.
in love. Miss Pole lent Septimus books and encouraged his

Sally Seton represents an honest, unencumbered life Peter literary ambitions. Septimus took a job as a clerk, and his boss,

and Clarissa wish they could allow themselves, if that life didn't Mr. Brewer, thought Septimus was talented and would be

mean sacrificing social standing, friendships, and work. In her promoted to a higher position easily, if he stayed healthy.

garden conversation with Peter, Sally echoed his concerns

But the war changed everyone's plans, including those of
about "the death of the soul" as she held a rose, the flower
Septimus. He volunteered for the Army to save an idealized
most often associated with Clarissa. Peter, jobless and feeling
version of the England he loved. He did well in the military and
tenuous about his own position in London society, understands
received promotions, attracting the praise of his commanding
why Sally took the easy path eventually. He even understands
officer, Evans. The two men developed a deep bond—common
why Clarissa did the same; she was attracted to her opposite,
among soldiers dealing with the atrocities of war—until Evans's
the steadfast, sensible, and unimaginative Richard. Peter's
death in Italy, just before the Armistice that ended the war.
concerned she's "converted" her personality into Richard's
Septimus, in the same battle, survived. He felt indifferent to
after years of marriage—devoting herself to the British Empire
Evans's death at the time and realized later, to his horror, that
and trusting the newspaper to give her opinions, as Richard
he could no longer feel anything—only occasional fear.
does.
He married cheerful young Rezia, a hat designer in Milan, and
This passage also shows Peter's fascination with women,
brought her back to England. But he couldn't share Rezia's
sometimes emerging as respect, sometimes contempt. He
enjoyment in life. Septimus, now an admired veteran, returned
doesn't admire Clarissa for her gentleness or feminine
to his clerkship. He found the writings he used to enjoy now
nurturing, however. He admires her honesty, her forthrightness,
seemed to chronicle hatred and despair. Disgusted with human
her skeptical mind, her sense of comedy. (In fact, he points out
nature, he now refuses to have a child with Rezia, who badly
she's not especially beautiful.) These aspects of Clarissa's
wants one. Rezia, distraught, took Septimus to see Dr. Holmes.
character show a 20th-century shift toward regarding women
When Dr. Holmes insisted that nothing was wrong with him,
on the same intellectual level as men. As he ages Peter is
Septimus felt "there was no excuse," and he had no choice but
gaining perspective. He can hold his experiences "in the light"
to die. Septimus refused to see Dr. Holmes again.
and no longer feel the need to meet new people and see what
they think of him; he's content in solitude. But he has his own Dr. Holmes still believes Septimus can make himself better, if

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 20

he chooses, by getting a hobby and deciding to enjoy life. One can't save Septimus from trauma.
day during Holmes's visit, Septimus called out for Evans,
shocking Rezia. Dr. Holmes gives up on Septimus and Woolf is not direct about the romantic nature of Evans and

encourages him to see Bradshaw instead. Septimus's relationship, but their primal and vivid connection
like "two dogs," coupled with Evans being "undemonstrative"
around women, may indicate the two were lovers. After five
Analysis years of marriage, "the business of copulation was filth to
[Septimus]," despite Rezia's desire to have children. Septimus's
Peter sees possibility in the old woman; Rezia sees both despair seems normal after the war horrors he has seen and
despair and hope. When Rezia wonders where the old woman experienced. But he's cynical about the books he used to love.
will go at night, she is thinking of the uncertainty and bleakness He is also not able to transition back to normal life. Septimus is
of her own future. Like Peter and Clarissa, Rezia has a desire convinced he's the only one who's sane. His horror at seeing
to connect to strangers, but her desire is more concrete; she the troops, a "maimed file of lunatics," contrasts with Peter's
wants not just communication but actual help. She wants a respectful vision of the young military. His numbness and lack
normal, long life for her husband as well as a house and a of feeling, his disproportionate responses to situations (not
motorcar. being upset at Evans's death, but seeing him constantly
afterward), are common symptoms of post-traumatic stress
Septimus's history explains why he went to war, where his disorder. Dr. Holmes's condescension toward both Septimus
dream of literary England was permanently changed. If things and Rezia indicates that shell shock was not taken seriously at
had gone differently (if the war hadn't happened, or if he hadn't the time.
been "sickly" and predisposed to mental illness), he might have
been a famous writer or a successful clerk. He worked hard
and distinguished himself at several jobs; why didn't he Section 10
succeed? Throughout the novel, Woolf mentions the veterans
from World War I and the lack of support they have received
since their return. Dr. Holmes does not recognize that
Septimus is suffering from shell shock (what is now called
Summary
post-traumatic stress disorder) and claims Septimus has
At noon the Warren Smiths arrive for the appointment with Dr.
control over his thoughts and actions when he is in fact
Bradshaw. (Meanwhile, Clarissa Dalloway is laying out her
suffering from severe trauma. The backstory echoes the
evening dress.) Bradshaw is wealthy, with a gray motorcar. He
theme of living a life over again, as Clarissa wants to do.
is a doctor well known for treating the rich. Respected in the
Septimus imagines himself to be special, but he's one of many:
community for his hard work, Bradshaw loves his job but is
many Smiths, many veterans, many clerks. No one will read his
growing wearier as he ages. He believes he has a unique
notes and poetry unless "the story of [his] struggles [has]
compassion and understanding of the human soul. When
become famous." The narrator hints at the possibility that
Septimus walks in, Bradshaw immediately diagnoses him with a
Septimus's memory will indeed survive, while foreshadowing
severe nervous breakdown.
his death. Woolf implies each life is important, famous or not.
Bradshaw interviews Septimus and Rezia, noting that Septimus
Isabel Pole's green dress recalls Clarissa's green dress—the
served with distinction in the war (Septimus himself feels he
color of nature and fertility. Her choice of play for Septimus to
has failed). When Bradshaw asks if Septimus has any worries,
read, Antony and Cleopatra, is a bleak one, reinforcing a
Septimus insists only that he has committed a crime. Bradshaw
pessimism that was cemented for Septimus in the war.
then talks to Rezia alone. Rezia admits that Septimus has
(Woolf's details of the minor damage done by the "prying
threatened suicide. Bradshaw says Septimus's case is serious
fingers" of the war reflects its effect on ordinary citizens who
and recommends a rest home in the country. Rezia is skeptical
didn't fight.) Septimus chooses Rezia because she represents
that her husband needs to be institutionalized, but Bradshaw
optimism and happiness; she creates and craves beauty. The
reiterates that a rest home is the only solution.
images of hats contrast starkly with the war imagery in the
previous paragraph. Even his female muses, Rezia and Isabel, When they tell Septimus the idea, he sneers dismissively. Well-

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 21

dressed Bradshaw has little patience for shabby Septimus's concerns by saying "We all have moments of depression." He
insistence that he's more educated than the doctor himself. As brushes Septimus off with a simple cure of rest, the absence of
Bradshaw tries to draw further details from him, Septimus stimuli for an overstimulated man. He doesn't consider the
fears his torturers and is concerned that he can't remember his complexity of what Septimus is going through, and his
crime. Bradshaw finally says he'll make arrangements for pomposity doesn't leave Rezia feeling secure. But Bradshaw
Septimus to go to a home and leaves the Smiths alone. Rezia believes he's doing the right thing—he's seen patients like
feels she has asked for help and has been deserted. Septimus before. His cure of "proportion" involves muting
personalities, uniqueness, and the trauma of past experiences,
Bradshaw's belief that rest cures mental illness comes from a rather than attending to them. His treatments have "penalized
philosophy of "divine proportion." Health is proportion, he despair," which Woolf doesn't believe is a crime, but a
believes. A life lived in proportion includes optimism and necessary component of the human condition.
patriotism—"family affection; honor; courage; and a brilliant
career." The sister of proportion, conversion, involves losing With enough "proportion," Bradshaw's patients eventually lose
one's own personality and will to other forces. For instance, their individuality and humanity through "conversion." The
Lady Bradshaw has converted to her husband's will. She once conversion process comes in a friendly guise, like a doctor who
enjoyed her own interests; now she's devoted to Bradshaw's wants to help and ignores anyone who disagrees with him.
business. Despite Bradshaw's conviction that his patients love Conversion is another means to "the death of the soul." The
and appreciate him, as Rezia and Septimus leave his office, female metaphor for conversion suggests a welcoming,
Rezia declares that she doesn't like him. maternal figure, belying selfish intentions. It also adds to the list
of mysterious, metaphorical female figures in Mrs. Dalloway,
like the woman in Peter's dream and the voice he hears
Analysis singing.

Woolf emphasizes that Bradshaw is about as well regarded as Woolf implies that medical care can harm as much as help.
doctors come; he serves the ailing rich, and in the process he Other well-appointed helpers in the novel, such as Hugh
has become rich himself. Bradshaw is convinced that he is Whitbread, are revealed to be harming the people they try to
doing good in the world. At first the Warren Smiths' visit seems help. Bradshaw's insistence that life is good, even when
promising. Bradshaw instantly diagnoses Septimus with a patients clearly cannot afford the material comfort that
serious nervous breakdown, leaving the reader hopeful that Bradshaw himself enjoys, shows how little he considers their
Septimus will get the help he needs. needs. Bradshaw's life is indeed good, protected from many of
the troubles his patients have. His dislike for Septimus's
Bradshaw notices, as the reader has, that Septimus attaches shabby clothes may indicate that Bradshaw actively
symbolic meanings to words. And despite Septimus's desire to discriminates against the poor, even though he was once poor
kill himself, his self-worth seems grandiose: he compares himself. This treatment reflects a larger issue of discrimination
himself to "the Lord who had gone from life to death." in London against the working class and homeless, whom
Bradshaw's diagnosis of the lack of "a sense of proportion" Bradshaw entrusts to the police.
seems accurate. Septimus doesn't see the world the way it
truly is. He fixates on small events, like his nature observations,
and doesn't care about large ones, like his wife's distress. Section 11
Rezia is proud of the same military service that has tortured
her husband. She reveals herself to be a caring and loving
partner to Septimus. She's skeptical that the solitude and rest Summary
Bradshaw advocates will do anything to help Septimus
participate in the world, and she wants to be with him as he A shop clock on Oxford Street announces it is 1:30 p.m. Hugh

recovers. Whitbread goes into the shop, Rigby and Lowndes, to buy
socks and shoes. Hugh, an efficient man, has a low-level job in
Like Holmes, Bradshaw diminishes Septimus's serious the government and many hobbies. He keeps his friends close,

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 22

and he has been behind a few civic reforms that he's proud of, of upper-class life, are a "mystery or grand deception."
such as improving public shelters and saving owls. Lady Bruton Even—or especially—when all's not well in the world, the rich
welcomes Richard Dalloway and Hugh. They eat a fancy meal, still entertain guests at ornate events. Lady Bruton, who comes
similar to many other wealthy Londoners in different houses from a noble English family and doesn't read poetry, may be
who take lunch at the same time. Lady Bruton, at age 62, is a made of more pomp than substance. She does, however, have
shrewd businesswoman and diplomat "more interested in clear political ambitions and a savvy intellect. She's devoted to
politics than in people." Lady Bruton asks Richard about setting young people up with better lives abroad, in a form of
Clarissa, quietly acknowledging the bond between the two "Emancipation" from what England has become.
women, who dislike each other but feel a kinship as wives in a
masculine world. Men, Lady Bruton thinks, understand "the laws of the universe"
better than women do. She believes her womanhood is a
The three discuss Peter Walsh, recently arrived back in town. burden, rather than an asset. Despite her connections, Hugh's
They all recall silently that Peter loved Clarissa once, and they voice will be heard when hers will not. As they write the letter
guess that Peter is back because of trouble with a woman. supporting emigration, Richard and Hugh keep in mind the
Lady Bruton asks Hugh to help her write a letter to the Times, tension surrounding young veterans' needs and the effect of
the popular newspaper, with Richard's advice. Her career the war. Richard proposes risky honesty; Hugh would rather
involves assisting young people with emigration to Canada. defer to people's delicate feelings. When Lady Bruton indulges
She believes her efforts have been futile lately, despite her in memories of her own, they're overwhelmingly happy ones.
professional success. She feels grateful for her friends, even as she senses they're
pulling away. Like other aging characters, Lady Bruton is
Richard and Hugh argue over the tone of the letter, which heading for solitude.
discusses England's increasing population of young people
and what the country owes to its veterans and dead, and how
it should be written to push Lady Bruton's agenda of
emigration. Richard reminds Lady Bruton of the Dalloways'
Section 12
party. He mentions that he'd like to write a history of her family.
After her guests have left, Lady Bruton goes upstairs to rest.
Summary

Analysis Richard and Hugh walk through town, lethargic and not wishing
to talk to each other. The hot day makes Richard think of

Hugh Whitbread is one of the novel's symbols of "authority" summers in Norfolk. Hugh looks in a shop window and

and "proportion." He has no doubts about life, no worries or considers buying a necklace for his wife. Richard, though he

private tortures Woolf lets the reader know about, except for has no interest, follows Hugh into the shop out of politeness.

his wife's poor health. He has not ascended to a high level in Richard reveals he wasn't interested in Lady Bruton's

politics (in Section 1, Clarissa refers to "his little job at Court"), emigration project either. Richard rarely gives Clarissa

and he keeps his friends close. Like Bradshaw, Hugh is proud presents; he gave her a necklace once, which she never wore.

of his accomplishments ("He had been afloat on the cream of He begins to imagine Peter with Clarissa. Hugh's rudeness to

English society for fifty-five years.") and considers himself a the shopkeepers irritates Richard, who leaves.

great helper to the poor (though he may be the exact

Richard decides to buy Clarissa flowers and tell her he loves
opposite). He is known for being extremely efficient, and he
her. He buys red and white roses and heads home, thinking of
remembers the little details, like bringing carnations to lunch.
how miraculous his life is. He sees vagrants and children
His friends, however, mainly tolerate him, use him for his
crossing the street unattended, and becomes angry at
connections, and quietly mock him behind his back.
London's broken social system. As Big Ben rings 3:00 p.m.,

Lady Bruton may prefer the more down-to-earth Richard, but Richard feels content—he loves the continuity and order that

she's similar to Hugh. She also attempts to keep her life in the clock represents, and he's eager to see his wife. Clarissa,

proportion. Her elaborate luncheons, like many other trappings meanwhile, is at home worrying over party guests. Ellie

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 23

Henderson, a dull woman Clarissa dislikes, wants to come to Since a doctor once ordered Clarissa to rest for an hour after
the party despite being uninvited. When the bell rings 3:00 luncheon, Richard brings her a pillow and blanket. Clarissa
p.m., she is surprised that the time has passed so quickly and is admires his "adorable, divine simplicity." She realizes both
shocked to see Richard at home. Richard and Peter have criticized her that day for her parties,
since they cause her excitement that could damage her health
and prove her devotion to worldly pleasures. Clarissa wonders
Analysis how to defend herself to them and decides she throws parties
as "an offering" to celebrate life. Despite her deep love for
The heat of the sun at midday hangs over these passages, existence, she knows it will end in death. Elizabeth enters the
making everyone tired and sentimental. Richard is struck by room quietly, Miss Kilman behind her. Elizabeth has become
"the worthlessness of this life" as he sees Hugh's rank more serious as she's gotten older, with a dark, exotic beauty
materialism and devotion to image. He decides to get Clarissa unlike her mother's. Miss Kilman stands behind her, listening to
a simple, natural gift, rather than an expensive one. Clarissa and Elizabeth.

Richard realizes, too, what a miracle it is that he and his family

have survived the war intact. He feels thankful, not guilty. He
Analysis
also seems to feel true empathy for the poor people and
children he passes, wanting to improve their situation but not This section reveals that Richard and Clarissa Dalloway are
knowing how. He wants to let his wife know how much he loves good for each other. They respect each other's solitude. They
her, but he isn't sure how to do that either. Both Richard and talk easily about old loves without anger or remorse. Richard is
Clarissa are stymied when they face expressing their gratitude more concerned for Clarissa's health than she is. At the same
to a world that has rewarded them with comfort and friends. time she may feel stifled by him. Parties stress her out, but she
Richard also wants to "support" Clarissa's decision to marry still wants to give them. He convinces her to invite Ellie
him, as he is feeling subtly threatened by Peter's intentions. Henderson to her party—generous of him, she realizes, but still
a "conversion" of his will over hers.
As Big Ben rings again, Richard is feeling the pressure of time.
Clarissa notes the clock's "directness and dignity." No matter Even though parties expend resources and seem like a
how often people try to stop time with their memories, the frivolous way to spend time, Clarissa knows the human soul
clock will go on striking. The citizens of London reappear, this needs relaxation and fun. She feels life is reason enough to
time crowded around Buckingham Palace to see the King. The celebrate. She isn't sure why, or even who the offering is for,
awe in which they hold English royalty, even after the war, ultimately. (For her guests? Her family? Herself? The self of
shows a simple patriotism, enthusiasm, and hope. After the her past?) She's ashamed of her lack of knowledge of world
loss of so many soldiers, the hope seems tragically misplaced, affairs and wishes she were more informed, like others around
but it's still there. Richard, "bearing his flowers like a weapon," her. But her contributions, like her inner thoughts, do have
is a little wary of the poor in the crowd, but he still desires a value. Nothing, says Woolf, is too trivial to matter, as long as it
human connection with a stranger. matters to someone.

Elizabeth is different from her mother; quiet, studious, too

Section 13 serious to enjoy parties. She is compared to the unusual
hyacinth flower. The hint of Asian ancestry in her looks and
blood points to an English fascination with the "exotic" east of

Summary India and China.

Richard asks to sit down and talk to Clarissa, who's still

thinking of Peter Walsh. They discuss their distaste for Hugh, Section 14
Peter's return, and Elizabeth's overly pious tutor, Miss Kilman.
Richard cannot tell Clarissa he loves her, but he holds her hand
and feels happy.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 24

Elizabeth waits for an omnibus. She is enjoying being outside

Summary but wishes she was in the country with her father and her dog.
She doesn't like the constant attention of people in the city.
Miss Kilman stands on the landing, self-conscious about her
Overwhelmed with compliments, Elizabeth would prefer to be
drab mackintosh, or raincoat. She's poor, in her forties, and
left alone. She rides up Whitehall and feels exhilarated. She
feels as though she has been cheated. During the war she was
considers Miss Kilman's constant suffering and wonders what
dismissed from a teaching job because she refused to believe
she herself would like to do for a career. The Dalloway family
all Germans are villains. Miss Kilman is part German, had
has a tradition of public service, which her father has continued
German friends, and "the only happy days of her life were
by serving in the House of Commons as a politician. Elizabeth
spent in Germany." She is, however, English, and her brother
isn't sure if she'd like to continue that tradition or not. She gets
had been killed in the war. She had trouble finding work until
off the bus at the Strand and walks a short distance up Fleet
Richard hired her to teach his daughter history. She despises
Street toward St. Paul's Cathedral. Military music begins to
Clarissa's luxury and constant rest, feeling that Clarissa should
play in the street. A dark cloud comes over the London crowds,
find a job. Two years ago Miss Kilman converted to Christianity
whom Elizabeth has been watching with fascination. She
and finds great comfort in the church. Her faith is influencing
boards the omnibus toward her home in Westminster.
Elizabeth. Clarissa is angry that a tutor has taken her daughter
from her.

Miss Kilman prepares to take Elizabeth shopping. In an attempt Analysis

to win Elizabeth's affections back, Clarissa calls to them to
remember her party. After they leave, Clarissa thinks of the Miss Kilman, like Septimus and Rezia Warren Smith, is an

cruelty of love and religion. Both forces, she feels, want to outsider and equally unhappy. She is working-class in a world

destroy the privacy of the soul. Neither solves the fundamental of rich people, religious in a time when the church is losing its

problems of existence. Miss Kilman has fallen to religion; Peter importance. Without the financial resources the Dalloways

has fallen to love. have, she turns to the church and charity for meaning.
Elizabeth symbolizes the new generation, with all its
Big Ben strikes 3:30 p.m. While Clarissa remembers details she possibilities, to Miss Kilman, which may be why her affection is
needs to take care of before the party, Miss Kilman takes so strong. Through Elizabeth she's living the life that might
Elizabeth to the Army and Navy stores. Miss Kilman considers have been.
how satisfied she has become since she renounced the
pleasures of the flesh. She plans never to marry, for instance; Is Miss Kilman's perception of Clarissa accurate? Or Clarissa's

her only pleasures in life are food and Elizabeth. Still she feels perception of Miss Kilman? Woolf is not concerned with

Clarissa has been mocking her, and she is upset. accuracy; instead, she shows how difficult it is to really know a
person and how perspective is everything. The multiple points
In the store the two women shop briefly and then go to tea. of view allow for ambiguity, another trademark of Modernism.
Elizabeth reflects that Miss Kilman has loaned her books and Answers are not clear cut.
encouraged her to choose a career, since more work is open
to women of Elizabeth's generation. Still Elizabeth feels Clarissa treasures "the privacy of the soul," a concept Woolf

uncomfortable with the tension between her wealthy, generous emphasizes in her works. The inner life allows for mystery,

mother and the working-class, self-righteous Miss Kilman. curiosity, and surprise. When some questions are unanswered,

Elizabeth leaves tea early, to Miss Kilman's distress. She asks there is still a sense of wonder that is vital to Clarissa's

Miss Kilman if she's planning to go to the party that night. No enjoyment of life. Religion removes this wonder by providing

one asks her, Miss Kilman says, because she's plain and answers and dictating ways to behave. Love and courtship

unhappy—but she pities other people more than she pities rituals do the same, in a way. Clarissa's rejection of a

herself. Left alone Miss Kilman goes to Westminster Abbey to prescribed path reflects the Modernist viewpoint that life is too

pray. Mr. Fletcher, a fellow churchgoer and retired treasurer, complex and mysterious for old ways of communication to be

sees Miss Kilman in devout prayer and thinks of her soul with relevant.

sympathy.
Miss Kilman views Clarissa's life as "a tissue of vanity and

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 25

deceit," implying that Clarissa's devotion to the unknowable comfort they felt together, and vows to help him. Septimus,
means she's deceiving even herself. Elizabeth's journey disturbed, is thinking about Bradshaw again. He asks Rezia to
through town reflects the quickly changing world—the bring him his papers and drawings, which are
omnibuses, the crowds. Elizabeth knows she's part of this incomprehensible to him now. He cries out for Rezia to burn his
change. She has more opportunities than her mother did, and papers, but she is determined to keep them. She says that
she's more willing (at least internally) to assert her own she'll go with Septimus to the rest home, despite Bradshaw's
preferences. Her wealth has insulated her from many of life's desire to separate the couple so Septimus can heal alone.
concerns, but she's still observant. Nothing will separate them, she promises.

Woolf's language in describing transportation—"the assault of Dr. Holmes arrives at the house. Rezia says she won't let him
carriages, the brutality of vans"—reveals the chaos and see her husband, but Dr. Holmes insists and pushes past her.
confusion of the rapidly developing city. She also alludes to Upstairs, Septimus hears Holmes approach. He looks around
forces beyond anyone's control, like time in the repeated for a way to kill himself and decides on the window. Sitting on
striking of Big Ben. Miss Kilman's solution to rapid change is to the rail he feels he doesn't want to die, but throws himself over
take comfort in an ancient faith, a position Woolf sympathizes the railing as Holmes enters the room. In the commotion Dr.
with, even if most characters don't agree. Holmes calls Septimus a coward and gives Rezia something to
drink. Dr. Holmes can't imagine why Septimus killed himself.
The nautical metaphors add to the sense of a larger Rezia notices Mrs. Filmer, their neighbor, in the garden waving
uncontrollable force. Elizabeth riding the bus is "like the figure- an apron that resembles a flag. Resting, Rezia recalls happy
head of a ship," and Big Ben's stroke "lay flat like a bar of gold memories. She gently tells Mrs. Filmer that Septimus is dead.
in the sea." Woolf's description of the voice surrounding the Mrs. Filmer is dismayed and watches through the window to
dying also signifies a force that doesn't care: "It was not see Dr. Holmes.
conscious." Death is foreshadowed, and the reader can see it
coming for Septimus.
Analysis
Section 15 Septimus and Rezia are allowed a brief moment of tranquility
and happiness before Septimus's death. Septimus momentarily
relaxes in the sun, but the light is combined with shadow. He
Summary repeats "Fear no more," the Shakespearean phrase that
consoled Clarissa. Finally, he and Rezia learn to no longer fear
Septimus Warren Smith rests on the sofa in the sitting room of death. They see it as inevitable, the end they're determined to
his home. Observing the light on the wall, he feels unafraid and find. And Rezia is granted some consolation in the enjoyment
briefly content. Rezia, beside him, makes a hat for Mrs. Filmer's of her temporary life, past and present. Septimus's death is, for
daughter. She thinks Septimus has been excited for no reason her, a kind of redemption.
lately, constantly seeing Evans, and hearing sounds that Rezia
The caricature Septimus invents of Dr. Holmes is another
can't hear. He especially despises Dr. Holmes, who stands for
instance of someone reinventing another individual's inner life,
something horrible, though Rezia isn't sure what. Rezia and
based more on their own thoughts than the stranger's details.
Septimus discuss Mrs. Filmer's family. Septimus, in an effort
Dr. Holmes has become a reflection of everything corrupt and
not to go mad, pays deliberate attention to the objects around
disingenuous with the world, the death of the soul, the way
him. He jokes about the hat, and Rezia laughs, enjoying a
Hugh Whitbread is to Peter and Sally and Miss Kilman is to
connection to him that she hasn't felt in a long time.
Clarissa. By contrast Septimus's sense of "a coverlet of
A knock at the door prompts Rezia to think Bradshaw has flowers" implies he's noticing small details as beautiful and
arrived, but it is only a girl with the evening paper. Septimus worthwhile—a respite from the despair and anguish in the
and Rezia read together before he rests. In his sleep Septimus wider world. He realizes why Rezia makes hats (and why
suffers another flashback to the war and calls out for Evans. Clarissa gives her parties): to make something lovely and help
Joining Septimus, Rezia remembers the way they met and the others enjoy life.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 26

Rezia is more resigned in this passage, more at peace, even and organization. It is also, he thinks, a city prone to solitude
though her circumstances change for the worse. She seems to and loneliness. For a moment life and death present
have accepted Septimus's outbursts as part of her life with themselves with unusual clarity. He thinks about Clarissa's
him. Like other characters she's accustomed to the march of sense of connection with people to whom she has never
time—"First one thing, then another." She even recalls how she spoken.
met Septimus, and the gentle, enigmatic personality she fell in
love with. She knows the old Septimus is still there. Her Arriving at his hotel, Peter sees the letter Clarissa sent that

domestic, quiet moment of peace before his death shows day. He is both anxious to communicate with her again and

Woolf's view that domestic moments can be healing and distressed by her letter: "Why couldn't she let him be?" As he

significant, as much or more so than larger events. empties his pockets, he thinks about why he and Clarissa
wouldn't have had a successful marriage anyway. He looks at
When Rezia accepts Septimus's scattered, random drawings the pictures of Daisy he carries and considers what it will mean
and writings, rather than being shocked or calling them the to marry her. He goes to dinner with other wealthy guests at
ravings of a madman but seeing their potential, she is showing the hotel. They discuss the changes that have taken place in
acceptance for who he is and who he has become. She has London in 30 years. Peter decides to go to Clarissa's party and
grown and developed over the book, becoming a devoted ally enjoy the evening. On the way he observes the many
and caregiver, and finding a measure of personal contentment. Londoners around him.
Her growth mirrors Clarissa's movement toward security,
contentment, and awareness throughout the novel.
Analysis
Although readers see Septimus's suicide coming—the event is
foreshadowed almost from the moment he's introduced—they Peter thinks it could have been him or someone he loves in the
may be surprised at its suddenness and timing. He doesn't ambulance, even though these thoughts aren't socially
want to die, but he'd rather take his chances with death than acceptable. It's a "privilege of loneliness" for him to indulge in
resign himself to Dr. Holmes's condescension or Bradshaw's emotion and speculation. He dwells on the surprises left in life
solitary homes for the rest of his life. For once Septimus thinks and the importance of "the unseen part of us"—the soul, that
quickly and clearly, not overwhelmed by emotion or may even linger after death. The death of the soul is different
imagination. from the death of the body. These reflections come right after
the death of Septimus's body, allowing readers to consider the
Readers aren't told how to feel about his decision. The
impact that even strangers' deaths have on those around them.
aftereffects on the other characters, who have seen more
death in World War I than ever, are varied. Rezia wants to Peter is still dwelling on missed opportunities in life, and the
honor his death as a war veteran, and does so in her memories. "mediocrity" he feels comes with middle age. Like Clarissa he's
Dr. Holmes doesn't. Septimus survived the war, only to take his imagining parallel paths constantly, and he's concerned with
own life: Dr. Holmes's bewilderment is a darkly comical note for how he appears to other people, though he doesn't want to be.
readers who know Septimus well. Mrs. Filmer's thought that The hotel symbolizes his wandering state. With no permanent
"married people ought to be together" reflects Rezia's own home, Peter is forced to make a home with strangers, and truly
decision to stay with her husband. Now Septimus leaves attempt to connect to others while maintaining his privacy. He
without her but on his own terms. attempts to convince himself that the much younger Daisy is
right for him. Daisy, dark haired, rash, not caring about other
people's opinions, resembles the young Sally Seton in a way.
Section 16 Yet he realizes Clarissa has permanently caused him to put up
his guard and kept him from loving anyone else fully.

His political concern for his adopted country feels connected

Summary to his soul, to his desire to participate in the world without
getting drowned in it (like Septimus). He's concerned about
Hearing Septimus's ambulance go by, Peter Walsh (not
London's imperialism, the way the city "rushed her bayonets
knowing who is in the ambulance) praises London's efficiency

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Section Summaries 27

into the sky" after nature—and its residents—simply want an Clarissa is first dismayed by the news and the timing of Lady
end to conflict and strife. As Peter considers the death of Aunt Bradshaw's announcement. She goes into a room by herself to
Helena Parry, he realizes what a gift age is; perspective, think. Though she doesn't know why Septimus killed himself,
"having done things millions of times," only enriches his life. He she feels convinced his soul is preserved. Besides everyone at
wants to continue having experiences, even if they bring him her party will grow old and die. She feels a kinship to Septimus
pain (like seeing Clarissa again) or overwhelm his senses (like and a renewed joy in life, despite her fear.
watching everyone in London prepare to go out at the same
time). Peter and Sally catch each other up on their lives. Peter
reflects on the changes he sees in Sally after motherhood and
upper-class living. They discuss their feelings for Clarissa,

Section 17 which have evolved over the years to friendship and respect,
and her marriage to Richard. Richard meanwhile thinks that his
daughter is getting older and unrecognizable as a poised,
secure adult. He feels proud. As the night comes to an end,
Summary Peter is filled with an inexplicable excitement as he sees
Clarissa.
Lucy and Agnes hurriedly prepare food for guests. Extra staff,
hired for the party, arrive along with the wealthy guests.
Anxious, Clarissa Dalloway feels her party will be a failure
Analysis
because everything seems to be going wrong. Peter Walsh
doesn't like her insincere manner. Ellie Henderson, invited at The party shows the final evolution in Clarissa's character,
the last minute, feels left out and ashamed of the cheap pink from distraught, overwhelmed, and disingenuous to content
flowers she brought. Richard engages her in conversation. and sincere. The novel's panoramic scenes, giving a sentence
Peter greets Richard. As other guests file in, Clarissa feels or two to many different characters, evoke the diversity and
apart from the event, as if it's unreal. Sally Seton, now called mystery in large crowds. Everyone at Clarissa's party is putting
Lady Rosseter after her marriage, arrives and greets a on an act, concerned about how they'll be perceived, but
surprised Clarissa. Peter notices Hugh at the party and thinks interacting with others anyway. Elizabeth, for instance, isn't
about all the harm Hugh has done. recognized by many of the guests because of her formal wear
and bearing. At first Clarissa dislikes the charades of her
Clarissa, energized and tender in her middle age, greets more
guests, but she comes to realize the bravery of their
friends. She's more comforted by the idea of enemies like Miss
performance. Like everyone, they're looking for a connection in
Kilman, however, and by the certainty of death. She greets her
the world.
guests—friends, academics, high-ranking officials—and makes
small talk. The prime minister—"this symbol of what they all The inclusion of Ellie Henderson's point of view adds another
stood for, English society"—arrives, and Lady Bruton withdraws outsider, one presented sympathetically. Ellie is clearly making
with him to a small, private room. Aunt Helena Parry, over 80 an effort, and she also experiences the "mild beam" of clarity
years old, arrives, surprising Peter who thought she had died. and purification that comes with aging after 50. Her carnations
Clarissa and Lady Bruton speak briefly and reminisce about continue the motif of flowers associated with women; pink,
the past. Lady Bruton contemplates the tragedy of India and modest, not showy, and almost apologetic. When Aunt Helena
the possibilities of England's empire. When Clarissa sees Sally Parry remembers her past, she focuses on orchids, associated
and Peter talking, she wants to reconnect with them. She with long-ago English colonialism and empire in the East.
considers the situational irony that free-spirited Sally ended up Helena is a welcome sight for those who thought she was
marrying a rich man and having five children. Sir and Lady dead, proof that life can still surprise.
Bradshaw arrive "shockingly late." With Richard, Sir Bradshaw
discusses a proposed bill to help veterans with shell shock. Sally and Peter experience a similar clarity to Ellie's. Though
Lady Bradshaw takes Clarissa aside to tell her about Peter is dismayed at how pedestrian Sally's thoughts and
Septimus's death. reflections have become, he is still able to talk to her as
candidly as he ever was. This preservation of the past inspires

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Quotes 28

Peter to take his love for Clarissa seriously. Peter is also

becoming disillusioned with the very English society he hopes g Quotes
to reenter: he recognizes that Hugh's kind gestures are only
condescending and conciliatory, not effecting real change.
Lady Bruton still has hope for England, as she looks around at "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy
the guests. Her devotion to empire has a dark side, especially
the flowers herself."
after the war's destruction and the negative aspects of
imperialism. Lady Bruton reflects positively on the war, the only
— Narrator, Section 1
character to do so. Her war images are associated with pride,
victory, and conquering nations for the English. Patriotism is
tied to her soul, while Hugh gives only the appearance of being Introduced formally, the novel's protagonist shows she cares
a patriot. about entertaining and beauty. Her desire to buy flowers, even
though servants can do so for her, reinforces the idea that her
True feelings come to the forefront as the party continues into
parties are an offering to her friends and to life.
the night. The reader learns Sally's true emotions for Clarissa:
Sally recalls they had been friends, and Clarissa was charming
and pure hearted. But Sally thinks Clarissa is a snob at heart
and is the reason the Dalloways never have accepted her
"First a warning, musical; then the
invitations to visit. Though Clarissa pretends to dislike Lady hour, irrevocable."
Bruton, she really pities her. Clarissa's meditations on the
death of Septimus bring repeated motifs full circle. The clock
— Narrator, Section 1
strikes again; the cloudy sky feels new; Clarissa repeats the
mantra "Fear no more the heat of the sun." She understands
Septimus's act in a way she cannot explain to others. Clarissa This phrase is repeated throughout the book. The menacing
feels a new compassion for her party guests as she realizes tone of the words warning and irrevocable contrasts with the
they're all fighting against death and oblivion in very different pleasant sound of musical and emphasizes that time moves on
ways. They're all doing their best. The beauty of life is in its unstoppably. Once hours are gone, no one can get them back.
impermanence, and the hours of the clock come to represent The phrase describes how time unites the characters.
the gift of time. This change in perspective gives Clarissa
confidence to participate in the world the way Septimus could
not. "She always had the feeling that it
The idea of how well anyone can really know others recurs was very, very dangerous to live
toward the end. Sally believes that knowing others well is
even one day."
impossible. Peter believes it can be done. In the final scene
he's confronted with the mystery of Clarissa. Transfixed by the
excitement of the unknowable, he feels Clarissa represents a — Narrator, Section 1
great mystery. He realizes what Sally meant by "what does the
brain matter ... compared with the heart?" Facts and truth may Early in the book, as readers are still getting to know Clarissa,
have deserted people after the war, but they can still she shows she is aware of the risks of living and participating
experience curiosity, anticipation, and surprise. With these in the world. Her loneliness and fear affect her
possibilities, everyone at the party may begin to feel a new experience—and since she feels emotions deeply, upsetting
hope. events may be "dangerous" to her.

"Fear no more the heat o' the

sun/Nor the furious winter's

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Quotes 29

It encapsulates much of his discontent with his life, his friends,

rages."
and the world after Clarissa broke off their relationship. People
like Clarissa and Hugh appear concerned only with socializing
— Clarissa Dalloway, Section 1
and manners; the nation and world are reeling from the soul-
killing events of the war. Peter's memories and reflections, and
The quotation is from Shakespeare's play Cymbeline. Mrs. those of other characters, can be read as attempts to salvage
Dalloway takes place on a hot, sunny, June day, making the their souls.
heat palpable. The words inspire Clarissa not to fear what she
cannot control, such as the weather. Both she and Septimus
will repeat the words fear no more as they struggle with "He went to France to save an
anxiety over the past and future.
England which consisted ... of
Shakespeare's plays and Miss
"Men must not cut down trees.
Isabel Pole."
There is a God."
— Narrator, Section 9
— Septimus Warren Smith, Section 2

Septimus is well read and self-educated. He went to war with

Septimus's dreamlike, fantastic thoughts often involve nature. little real-life experience, learning mostly from books and plays.
He sees himself as one with nature, a part of the world, even as He fought for an idealized, noble version of England. He
he battles suicidal thoughts. His belief in God, or a divine force, idealizes his mentor Isabel Pole, as well, imagining her to be
reflects an evolving sense of faith, contrary to the Modernist more than who she is (many characters in Mrs. Dalloway
movement that leans away from religion and more toward imagine the people they love to be greater than they are).
spirituality. During the war Septimus learned to block his emotions so he
could deal with the violence and carnage of war. Upon his
return he realizes that the ideal England never existed. This
"If it were now to die, 'twere now disappointment fuels his traumatic stress.

to be most happy."
"It might be possible that the world
— Clarissa Dalloway, Section 3
itself is without meaning."
Clarissa's young love for Sally first inspired her to this
— Septimus Warren Smith, Section 9
sentiment. Dramatic and emotional, she felt completely fulfilled.
As she ages she gives the Shakespearean quotation a more
philosophical approach. It now resembles her affection for life Septimus expresses a Modernist view here. He rejects religion
and all that it offers. and authority, choosing to name the terms of his own
existence. If the world has no intrinsic meaning, the only
meaning it does have is the meaning that people give to it.
"The death of the soul." Septimus sees meaning in small, everyday sights, like a dog or
a tree, but he cannot reconcile the bigger picture with the
atrocities he has seen in the war.
— Peter Walsh, Section 6

Peter utters this phrase to himself as he wakes from his dream. "There is a dignity in people; a

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Quotes 30

— Clarissa Dalloway, Section 17

solitude; even between husband
and wife a gulf." Clarissa tries to sort out her feelings about Septimus's death.
She is uncomfortable with how much it upsets her, until she
— Clarissa Dalloway, Section 13 considers why a suffering person might take his own life. Since
Clarissa, too, has difficulty communicating in the way she
Solitude and privacy are essential to the novel and its wants to, she feels an affinity with Septimus's despair and final
characters. Clarissa and Richard feel the distance between "defiance."
them as a "dignity," respecting their individuality. They have not
converted their personalities into each other's as Bradshaw
and his wife have done. But they also feel the "gulf" of "She felt somehow very like
loneliness and inability to connect.
him—the young man who had
killed himself."
"After that, how unbelievable
— Clarissa Dalloway, Section 17
death was!—that it must end."

— Clarissa Dalloway, Section 13 Clarissa's affinity for Septimus is the ultimate connection
between strangers (the two never meet). Though Clarissa
didn't fight in the war, she still feels its effects in the city, and
Clarissa and other characters consider their lives as a whole, a
she and Septimus both observe the racing of London into the
tapestry, rather than a sequence of events. They feel the end is
modern age. They both struggle with depression that the
"unbelievable" and treat death as a mystery to be respected
doctors can't treat. This quotation proves that souls are often
and feared, rather than dreaded.
more alike than different.

"Absorbing, mysterious, of infinite "What can one know even of the

richness, this life." people one lives with every day? ...
— Peter Walsh, Section 16
Are we not all prisoners?"

— Sally Seton, Section 17

Peter has experienced a great deal—the loss of his job, the
collapse of his marriage, and his unfulfilled love for Clarissa. He
takes his positive and negative experiences together and finds In a novel full of characters who imagine the lives of strangers,
his life "mysterious" and inexplicable. There's always more to several characters, including Sally, realize that even their
discover, he thinks, more to experience—the "infinite richness." closest companions are fundamentally unknowable. They are
Many characters, particularly Clarissa and even Septimus, feel "prisoners" of privacy and solitude, which are both gifts and
similar gratitude toward life. This statement is also Modernist in burdens.
its implicit rejection of an afterlife—this life is all the characters
believe they have, and it's enough.

"Death was defiance. Death was

an attempt to communicate."

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Symbols 31

Memory can comfort and convict; it helps the characters

l Symbols understand why they made certain choices, and it reminds
them how full their lives have been.

The fractured, magical, prose style shows memory can be

Airplanes unreliable. For Septimus, whose memories are affected by
trauma, the past spirals into the present and creates ghostly
visions. Settings—the city of London, the Dalloway home, and
An airplane flies over London in the book's second section, Regent's Park—have a kind of memory, too. Peter reflects on
becoming a catalyst for the fears and anxieties of various the changes London has undergone in five years and the way it
characters. The airplane, a new technology, symbolizes the continues to remember its royal, noble past. Virginia Woolf
swift changes in London's urban society after World War emphasizes, through her characters who have suffered loss,
I—changes that inspired the Modernists to reflect on human that the dead live on in the memories of the living.
feelings of confusion and helplessness. Since everyone outside
Clarissa thinks frequently of death, though she has a deep
Buckingham Palace is watching the airplane, the symbol brings
desire for life. She and Peter are only in their fifties, yet they
together Londoners from different walks of life, emphasizing
notice and comment on the effects of aging. They do not enjoy
London as a character of its own. The airplane also represents
the activities they once did, and their moods become quieter
the war, and the shadow of the war that still lingers in the lives
and more reflective in middle age. Both are concerned with
of characters like Septimus.
their legacy and worry they haven't made the most of their
lives. The specter of mortality hovers over the younger
characters after the many deaths of World War I. Septimus, for

Trees instance, is only 30 and Rezia, 24.

Yet age also creates opportunities for the characters in Mrs.

Dalloway. With the perspective age brings, they can appreciate
Septimus asserts, "Men must not cut down trees." For him and life more than they ever have in their knowledge that it is
others, trees symbolize an everlasting life force that gives temporary and precious. Sally mentions that she feels more
meaning to existence in the postwar chaos. Characters like passionately every year. By the end of the novel, aging is
Clarissa and Septimus, aware of the temporary nature of their celebrated, rather than feared.
existence, know and are comforted by the fact that nature
(including trees) will outlive them. Peter dreams about a solitary
traveler mesmerized by the "spectral presence" of a tree. To
Peter, trees represent a mysterious femininity, a force he sees Passage of Time
in Clarissa as well.

Time, as told by the hours on Big Ben, dictates the characters'

movements and pushes them to accomplish as much as
m Themes possible. The city of London is driven by time—appointments,
traffic, work, lunch hours. The unstoppable movement of time
provides both stress and the comfort of order and rhythm.

Age and Memory Characters do not experience time in the same way. In some
moments, time speeds up; in others, it slows down. The novel's
Modernist style allows for leaps in time, both into the distant
For many Londoners in Mrs. Dalloway, the past informs the future when all Londoners will be dead and to the past through
present. Clarissa, Peter, Richard, and Sally consider how their memory. The 12 hours of "real time" in the novel do not count
youthful time together shapes their current lives as they age. the flow of thoughts that are ever present for each character.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Motifs 32

Their thoughts have the ability to stop narrative time, displaying

Woolf's focus on the interior life. b Motifs

Aftershocks of War Clothing

Clothing signifies social class, personality, and priorities. Mrs.
Dalloway's silver-green evening dress reflects colors found in
Shell shock, or post-traumatic stress disorder, brought on by nature, showing her love for the outdoors and need to be a
the stress of World War I, is most apparent in Septimus and his part of the wider world. Her daughter Elizabeth's distaste for
caretaker and wife, Rezia. But every character feels the shopping shows a burgeoning desire for independence. Hugh
effects. Airplanes in the sky recall war, and London's loud Whitbread's shopping habits show his need to cultivate
traffic echoes the link between technology and violence. elegance. Miss Kilman's raincoat reflects self-sacrifice; she is
hiding herself in its material.
England is permanently changed, and the changes bring out
both patriotism and cynicism. Politically involved Londoners
like Lady Bruton and Hugh Whitbread wonder how England
can best repay its veterans and become a world power again.
Flowers
Miss Kilman finds meaning in assisting other countries harder
Flowers appear as representations of beauty, care, and
hit than England. Peter admires and worries about young
aspiration. Characters buy or pick flowers with the hope that
military men.
something good will happen. Richard brings Clarissa red and
white roses to prove his love; Mrs. Dalloway buys flowers
personally for her guests to prove her devotion. Optimistic
Stress and Mental Illness Sally has a way with flowers, particularly the more unusual blue
hydrangeas, signifying her rare intelligence and enthusiasm for
life.

Woolf's prose goes deeply into characters' imaginations, so the

mental instability experienced by Septimus and Clarissa feels
real and honest to the reader. Both feel depression and pain
Water
but can still see the beauty in life. The novel also discusses the
Water—waves, tides, seas, oceans—is the novel's most
effect mental illness has on loved ones, such as lonely Rezia
persistent motif of change and transformation. The shifting
Smith.
states of water represent the shifting mental states of the
The good reputations and good intentions of Dr. Holmes and characters. Septimus and Clarissa often feel drowned or out to
Sir William Bradshaw contrast with the insufficient, and sea. The movement of the tides reflects the inevitable daily
sometimes harmful, effects their treatments have on patients. changes people observe and go through, only to begin again a
Dr. Holmes minimizes Septimus's symptoms. Bradshaw new day. Water, in its fluidity, also reflects the process of life
prescribes bed rest and isolation, both frequent treatment and death. Large, powerful bodies of water especially evoke
methods for the mentally ill and suicidal in the 1920s, without the characters' feelings of loneliness and hopelessness.
considering his patient's needs. Clarissa's and Septimus's Virginia Woolf frequently used water imagery in her work,
bond, though they never meet, is driven in part by their including The Waves and To The Lighthouse.
simultaneous experience of mental illness and the resulting
alienation from others both feel.

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Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide Suggested Reading 33

Big Ben
The large clock in Westminster unifies the many separate
characters, who all hear it ring at the same time. Big Ben is a
pull back to a shared reality, a reminder that everyone is in the
city together. The clock also represents order and continuity.
Because of its height and masterful architecture, Big Ben has
become an iconic symbol of England—particularly the
magisterial, Elizabethan England that characters like Septimus
and Hugh respect.

e Suggested Reading
Holmesland, Oddvar. Form as Compensation for Life: Fictive
Patterns in Virginia Woolf's Novels. Columbia: Camden, 1998.
Print.

Kocsis, Andrea. Virginia Woolf and Women in Mrs Dalloway:

Modernist and Postmodern Approaches. Saarbrücken: VDM,
2008. Print.

Latham, Monica. A Poetics of Postmodernism and

Neomodernism: Rewriting Mrs Dalloway. New York: Palgrave,
2015. Print.

Marcus, Jane. New Feminist Essays on Virginia Woolf. Lincoln:

U of Nebraska, 1981. Print.

O'Hara, Daniel T. Virginia Woolf and the Modern Sublime: The

Invisible Tribunal. New York: Palgrave, 2015. Print.

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