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Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf's novel Mrs. Dalloway can be referred to as one of the best examples of existentialist literature. Novels plot revolves around people inability to understand each other through the mean of communication. This is the main motif of existentialist philosophy, which became very popular, after the end of WWII.
We can say that, in her novel, Woolf was able to anticipate what was going to become the main object of peoples subconscious anxieties in the future. Novels main character Clarissa Dalloway is shown as person capable of using logic, while forming relationships with other people. There are clear feminist undertones can be found in her way of thinking. However, she also begins to understand that psychological compatibility does not depend on the effectiveness of communication techniques. Clarissa refused to marry Peter Walsh, because she thought that he would try to subject her to his will, which would deprive her of independence. However, Clarissa understands Peter more than anybody else, even though that she cannot explain it even to herself.
Woolf describes a relationship between Clarissa and Peter as being innately romantic, even though that these two characters try to think of each other as just friends: And Clarissa had leant forward, taken his hand, drawn him to her, kissed him, actually had felt his face on hers before she could down the brandishing of silver flashing plumes like pampas grass in a tropic gale in her breast, which, subsiding, left her holding his hand, patting his knee and, feeling as she sat back extraordinarily at her ease with him and light-hearted, all in a clap it came over her, If I had married him, this gaiety would have been mine all day! (Woolf). Clarissa values independence above all; however, it slowly begins to dawn on her that it prevents other people from seeing her true virtues. She grows increasingly weary with her husbands inability to perceive the surrounding reality in the way she does. Therefore, slowly but surely, Clarissa begins to realize that finding happiness in the relationship with another person, has nothing to do with rationalizing.
We can say that Clarissa is being haunted by the same psychological conflict that defines the philosophical essence of Woolf's novels discrepancy between natural instincts and rationale. The other characters in Mrs. Dalloway are also described as such that are often unable to adjust their view of how relationship between people is being formed, to the how conventional ethics defines it. For example, there is seemingly nothing in common between Septimus and Lucrezia.
Even after becoming mentally sick, Septimus is shown to us as being quite capable of abstract philosophizing. In fact, some of his ideas sound very fresh and original. We do not doubt the fact that he remains a sophisticated individual. At the same time, Lucrezia is not even very fluent in English. It is quite impossible for us to understand on what ground the relationship between Septimus and Lucrezia is being based upon, in the first place. This is because we use a rational approach to define the essence of relationship, which denies the importance to intuition.
Despite the fact that Septimus and Lucrezia are very unlikely characters, they are shown as being happy as couple. Septimus desire to marry Lucrezia was spontaneous: He asked Lucrezia to marry him, the younger of the two, the gay, the frivolous, with those little artists fingers that she would hold up and say It is all in them. Silk, feathers, what not were alive to them. He knew that she belonged to him the first time he saw her (Woolf). Thus, for Woolf, the relationship does not necessarily have to involve communication, in order to be lasting. She views communication as flow of information, which can be beneficial or damaging, depending on circumstances.
Therefore, we can say that Dr. William Bradshaw is nothing but the embodiment of negative information, which is both: socially motivated and practically focused. After having realized that Dr. Bradshaw simply strives to lock him away in the nuthouse, Septimus becomes hysterical, although his argument is not altogether deprived of logic: But he remembered Bradshaw said, The people we are most fond of are not good for us when we are ill.
Bradshaw said, he must be taught to rest. Bradshaw said they must be separated. Must, must, why must? What power had Bradshaw over him? What right has Bradshaw to say must to me? he demanded (Woolf).
The recent discoveries, in the field of physics, prove that information can actively affect the objective reality, in physical sense of this word. Therefore, it is only logical to suggest that relationship between individuals is also the subject of information. It does not appear that Woolf came to this conclusion consciously. Since the character of Clarissa is largely autobiographical, we can say that Woolf was simply struggling to find a psychological comfort and it was becoming obvious to her that this comfort could be achieved with the mean of intellectualization's.
Still, such conclusion contradicts Woolf's feminist beliefs. This is why Mr. Dalloway is best described as being feminist and anti-feminist, at the same time. Mrs.
Dalloway cannot be defined as an attempt to show the formation of relationship between people from exclusively a psychological point of view. Woolf promotes the idea that individuals class affiliation also affects their behavior. The reason why Elizabeth and Miss Kilman despise each other is that they belong to different social strata. Woolf describes social affiliation as something that doubles up the intensity of peoples natural reactions. Women are known to always hold a subconscious mistrust towards each other, because their genetic memory makes them strive to compete for men, while they often do not realize it.
However, the open animosity between women can only be observed directly, when their attitude towards each other is not affected by the rules of social conduct, which often happens in highly hierarchical societies. Woolf's novel is an attempt to show that forming of relationships is an integral part of human nature, because people are social beings. At the same time, their increasing psychological alienation, which is caused by the realities of living in industrial society, prevents them from achieving a true happiness. Bibliography: Woolf, Virginia Mrs. Dalloway. 2001. Adelaide University Etext Library. 12 May. 2007.
web Abstract: This paper discuses how Virginia Woolf views the relationship between people in her novel Mrs. Dalloway. Outline: Introduction and main part. Pp. 1 - 3 Conclusion. P. 3
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