MRS. DALLOWAY STUDY NOTES
SECTION 1
P. 3-10
CLOSE ANALYSIS
Opening scene: June Monday morning Mrs. Dalloway is written in free indirect
discourse - often the characters musings
are mingled with their perceptions or
actions in reality.
Clarissa opening the windows: “squeak of This emphasises Clarissa’s departure
the hinges” from the stuffy, pent-up environment of
her home
Description of outing: “chill and sharp”
The combination of auditory and tactile
imagery frames Clarissa’s outing as a
rejuvenating experience.
“Musing among the vegetables?” The spontaneous flow is an accurate
representation of Clarissa’s thoughts -
reflecting the stream of consciousness
style.
MRS. DALLOWAY STUDY NOTES 1
, Big Ben: “There! Out it boomed. First a Big Ben serves as a guiding motif in the
warning, musical; then the hour, novel. It’s strikes given Clarissa a way to
irrevocable.” situate her perceptions within a certain
order.
“she always had the feeling that it was The juxtaposition between the bustle and
very, very, dangerous, to live even one joy of London life with the constant
day. danger of death continue throughout the
novel.
PETER + CLARISSA:
🍾 Clarissa tries not to think about the pain she caused Peter upon rejecting him.
She feels as if she has not lived up to Peter’s standards, but he has failed to
accomplish his own dreams.
“she had the markings of the perfect hostess” - Clarissa hates Peter’s
assessment of her as someone obsessed with class, which is ironic, as
Clarissa holds parties for people of high status
CLARRISA WALKING ON THE STREETS OF LONDON:
🚦 Clarissa moves throughout London’s streets, paying attention to the sights and
sounds around her. She treasures the little details and life. However, at the
same time, she acknowledges that there is just as much pain as joy.
CYMBELINE ALLUSION:
MRS. DALLOWAY STUDY NOTES 2
, ☀️ “Fear no more the heat o’ the sun The two lines which Clarissa reads
out are from a funeral song in the
Nor the furious winter’s rages”
play. The allusion to Cymbeline
reflects how violence and death have
shaped society. It suggests that
death is a comfort after life’s
struggles, reflecting her own
struggles.
CLARISSA’S SELF WORTH
💍 “this being Mrs. Dalloway; not even Clarissa any more; this being Mrs.
Richard Dalloway” (p.8)
Clarissa’s feels purposeless in life as she is past child-bearing age. Her identity
has been assimilated and reduced to being Mrs. Richard Dalloway.
ELIZABETH + MISS KILMAN
👭 “Anyhow they were insperarable” - Clarissa on their relationship (p.9)
Woolf herself had a romantic relationship with Vita Sackville-West, which is
reflected by the underlying idea of repressed homosexuality in Mrs. Dalloway.
Context: explicit sexual activity between women was not criminalised, but it
was ostracised
😠 “she was never in the room five minutes without making you feel her
superiority, you inferiority” (p.9)
Clarissa’s hatred of Miss Kilman and protectiveness of Elizabeth illustrates the
darker sides to her personality.
FLOWER SHOP:
MRS. DALLOWAY STUDY NOTES 3
, 💐 Flowers symbolise beauty and femineity and for Clarissa, they represent the
joy she takes in life, as she choose to focus on visually pleasing things such as
flowers to banish the darker parts of her soul. This is emphasised by the listing
and imagery in the scene.
CAR BACKFIRING:
🚘 The sound of the car backfiring is a sudden reminder of the war, as it
resembles the sound of pistol. This reflects the presence of death, even when
among the flowers.
SECTION 2:
P.11-21
THE CAR:
😲 Although Clarissa and Septimus never meet, they often act as doubles in the
novel - or the two ways Woolf views society. Septimus’ shell shock serves as
another layer of social criticism, illustrating the how poorly England handled
the war and it’s aftermath.
🫀 “The throb of the motor engine sounded like a pulse irregularly drumming
through an entire body”
The simile reflects the influence of the car, which is believed to be carrying
someone of importance, on the crowd. Clarissa believes that the mere
presence of high status people can alter the atmosphere.
MRS. DALLOWAY STUDY NOTES 4
SECTION 1
P. 3-10
CLOSE ANALYSIS
Opening scene: June Monday morning Mrs. Dalloway is written in free indirect
discourse - often the characters musings
are mingled with their perceptions or
actions in reality.
Clarissa opening the windows: “squeak of This emphasises Clarissa’s departure
the hinges” from the stuffy, pent-up environment of
her home
Description of outing: “chill and sharp”
The combination of auditory and tactile
imagery frames Clarissa’s outing as a
rejuvenating experience.
“Musing among the vegetables?” The spontaneous flow is an accurate
representation of Clarissa’s thoughts -
reflecting the stream of consciousness
style.
MRS. DALLOWAY STUDY NOTES 1
, Big Ben: “There! Out it boomed. First a Big Ben serves as a guiding motif in the
warning, musical; then the hour, novel. It’s strikes given Clarissa a way to
irrevocable.” situate her perceptions within a certain
order.
“she always had the feeling that it was The juxtaposition between the bustle and
very, very, dangerous, to live even one joy of London life with the constant
day. danger of death continue throughout the
novel.
PETER + CLARISSA:
🍾 Clarissa tries not to think about the pain she caused Peter upon rejecting him.
She feels as if she has not lived up to Peter’s standards, but he has failed to
accomplish his own dreams.
“she had the markings of the perfect hostess” - Clarissa hates Peter’s
assessment of her as someone obsessed with class, which is ironic, as
Clarissa holds parties for people of high status
CLARRISA WALKING ON THE STREETS OF LONDON:
🚦 Clarissa moves throughout London’s streets, paying attention to the sights and
sounds around her. She treasures the little details and life. However, at the
same time, she acknowledges that there is just as much pain as joy.
CYMBELINE ALLUSION:
MRS. DALLOWAY STUDY NOTES 2
, ☀️ “Fear no more the heat o’ the sun The two lines which Clarissa reads
out are from a funeral song in the
Nor the furious winter’s rages”
play. The allusion to Cymbeline
reflects how violence and death have
shaped society. It suggests that
death is a comfort after life’s
struggles, reflecting her own
struggles.
CLARISSA’S SELF WORTH
💍 “this being Mrs. Dalloway; not even Clarissa any more; this being Mrs.
Richard Dalloway” (p.8)
Clarissa’s feels purposeless in life as she is past child-bearing age. Her identity
has been assimilated and reduced to being Mrs. Richard Dalloway.
ELIZABETH + MISS KILMAN
👭 “Anyhow they were insperarable” - Clarissa on their relationship (p.9)
Woolf herself had a romantic relationship with Vita Sackville-West, which is
reflected by the underlying idea of repressed homosexuality in Mrs. Dalloway.
Context: explicit sexual activity between women was not criminalised, but it
was ostracised
😠 “she was never in the room five minutes without making you feel her
superiority, you inferiority” (p.9)
Clarissa’s hatred of Miss Kilman and protectiveness of Elizabeth illustrates the
darker sides to her personality.
FLOWER SHOP:
MRS. DALLOWAY STUDY NOTES 3
, 💐 Flowers symbolise beauty and femineity and for Clarissa, they represent the
joy she takes in life, as she choose to focus on visually pleasing things such as
flowers to banish the darker parts of her soul. This is emphasised by the listing
and imagery in the scene.
CAR BACKFIRING:
🚘 The sound of the car backfiring is a sudden reminder of the war, as it
resembles the sound of pistol. This reflects the presence of death, even when
among the flowers.
SECTION 2:
P.11-21
THE CAR:
😲 Although Clarissa and Septimus never meet, they often act as doubles in the
novel - or the two ways Woolf views society. Septimus’ shell shock serves as
another layer of social criticism, illustrating the how poorly England handled
the war and it’s aftermath.
🫀 “The throb of the motor engine sounded like a pulse irregularly drumming
through an entire body”
The simile reflects the influence of the car, which is believed to be carrying
someone of importance, on the crowd. Clarissa believes that the mere
presence of high status people can alter the atmosphere.
MRS. DALLOWAY STUDY NOTES 4
