Virginia Woolf 

Our Work with Mrs. Dalloway:

Day one:

Admire how much Woolf is able to convey in the first ten pages. Opening line begins a current of exposition.

Note some names that will recur; note also characteristics or key personal items. Peter's pocket knife for instance.

Day Two:

Questions:

• Why does Woolf present different interpretations of the sky writing?
• What happens to Septimus during this episode?
• How does Woolf show, not tell, us about Rezia's alienation? Follow up: what does Woolf think about the issue of immigration?

Structure appreciation: Note that all the characters respond differently to objective realities. As a result, one way to ground our discussion and organize our analysis of the unconventional plot is to plot out the events that all the characters see.

Big Ben tolling; the Royal car; the airplane and skywriting; baby crying in Regent's Park; Regent Park Tube station pump;

pp. 20-29 relate the reactions to the airplane (note, new technology for the time period; similar to the car in previous ten pages). Important to follow Septimus' reaction here and notice how Rezia's meltdown is sandwich in between his visions of fallen comrades, Evans in particular.

pp. 30-40 have reflections on past loves. What is the status of Clarissa's relationship to Richard? How does she describe her relationship with Sally? How does Peter fit into her emotional make up and life?

pp. 40-48 Peter makes an uncanny appearance considering that Clarissa was just thinking about him! She and he have a sharp conversation with sharp objects in their hands. Don't get caught between them just now. Who interrupts the interrupter and makes an uncanny appearance now?

pp. 48-56 Peter's walk to Regent's Park.

pp. 56-58 Interesting dream; nurse's knitting creates the allegorical image of female TEXTile material = Madame DeFarge from Tale and the Trojan women in the Iliad.

pp. 58-64 "Oh, I shall never be able to speak to her again" (59)! p. 62 perfect happiness; p. 64 final break up occurs and Peter leaves Clarissa.

pp.64-65 narrative overlap: Peter's stream of consciousness is affected by and encounters small exterior influence from seeing Septimus and Rezia fighting and miscommunication.

pp. 64-70: "I am so unhappy, Septimus" (70).

pp. 70-80 And that is being young"(70). p. 72 Peter gets a letter from Sally. p. 80 the pump at the tube station interrupts Peter's stream of consciousness.

pp. 80-84 Pump outside the tube station affects Peter's as well as Septimus' and Rezia's stream of consciousness.

pp.82-94 Background information of Septimus and Rezia; why are they married? Also, how does Woolf show the depth of Septimus' depression? Why do you think that she is so good at that artistically? Describe Dr. Holmes' treatment?

pp. 94-102 What are Dr. Bradshaw opinions on Septimus' health? What does he suggest for a cure? What does Rezia think of his prescription? What does Rezia think of the doctor in general?

pp.102-117 We follow the thoughts of Hugh Whitbread going to lunch at Lady Bruton. Notice the connotations of the question: how's Clarissa? Also, how does Peter come up in conversation? What does Richard plan to say to his wife?

pp.117-122 Big Ben tolls; we renter Clarissa's stream of consciousness. Richard arrives and he and Clarissa have a conversation: how does this encounter compare and contrast to the one between Peter and Clarissa? Does Richard utter to the words, "I love you" to his wife? Explain.

pp. 122-123 Miss Kilman's mackintosh: what does it represent?

pp. 126-130: several shifts between Elizabeth and Miss Kilman. Do you know exactly where they occur? How does food fit into Elizabeth's and Miss Kilman's life?

pp. 133-134 Miss Kilman praying.

pp. 134-139 Enter Elizabeth's thoughts. Is she more independently minded than Clarissa and Miss Kilman realize?

p 139 Switch to Septimus' point of view. Evans singing in the walls. How does the singing in the walls relate to Dr. Holmes' previous visit to Septimus? Why is this good showing by Woolf of the effects of shell shock? Why has Dr. Holmes had such a difficult time understanding Septimus' death?

pp. 143-44 Pure Joy for Rezia. Interestingly, Woolf has shown us several pure joy moments of key characters. What do you make of this narrative construction? Is it possible to know all of these pure joy moments in the course of one day?

p. 151 switched to Peter

pp. 152-3 Peter's memory of the Transcendental theory.

pp. 155-59 Why did Clarissa write to Peter that same day?

pp. 159-165 Dinner with the Morrises; Peter celebrates the virtues of middle class English folks. What will Peter ask Richard at the party? How and why does Peter celebrate the London twilight? What does Peter take out before he enters the party? Why?

NB: Besides Modernism and Woolf's sense of transcendentalism, we also suggested that one could write about Woolf's plot structure being feminine and not masculine.