Personal response to Mrs Dallaway Pages 1-36 NO SOURCES - Essay Example

Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf uses the different characters in “Mrs. Dalloway” to depict the atmosphere in London almost five years after the end of World War I. Influenced by subjective dispositions; each character interprets the incident of the backfired car differently. For most of the characters including Mrs. Dalloway, the mysterious figure in the grand car inspired feelings of patriotism. However, for war veterans suffering from “shell shock”, a mental condition presently referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) such as Septimus Warren Smith, the backfiring car arouses antagonistic feelings. Warren believes that he is to blame for the congestion caused by the backfired car. In the wake of the war, citizens are trying to cope with the multitude of changes in their new society; for example, the streets are busier and nosier.
Woolf consistently uses flashbacks in her literal work to capture each character’s subjective narrative. The author’s use of subjective narrative calls into question the reliability of memory as a source of information. The characters constantly re-evaluate their perspectives based on recalled information and their interpretations of current events showing that memory might be an unreliable source of information. However, recalled information enriches one’s understanding of characters; one is able to visualize a character’s contribution to the different themes addressed in the literal piece. For example, covered extensively in the publication is the theme of tragedy/death. Characters such as Mrs. Dalloway and Warren Smith remain preoccupied with impending tragedy/death. Mrs. Dalloway constantly thinks about her own mortality; for example, the author mentions that, “she feels and emptiness at the heart of her life” (Woolf) coupled with her lack of affectionate feelings towards her husband Richard and her deviant sexual attraction towards women.
In my opinion, the author’s inclusion of a broad range of characters from diverse backgrounds captures the broad range of subjective perspectives about post-World War I England.
Work Cited
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dallaway. United Kingdom: Hogarth Press, 1925. Print. Read More