Mrs. Dalloway

Mrs. Dalloway is an interesting play on gender roles. From the surface it seems like another story about aristocracy and the roles of women and men in society. Mrs. Dalloway seems like the typical housewife, wandering around aimlessly until she decides that she will “buy the flowers herself.” (1) She has servants and workers that do everything for her. She is charged with the difficult task of assigning them their duties. What shall she serve? What will the musicians play? How to set the table, what to offer as beverage, and so on and so on… Through the reading though, we see a more unique side to Clarissa. She is privileged. She does have a lot of money. She did choose social standing over passion, Richard over Peter. Through all of the aristocracy we are given a view of the woman of the house from the inside rather than the out. She has stresses within her life. Peter’s appearance offered a view of the constant worry and stress Clarissa lives with. She remains upset with herself over losing Peter. She repeats herself over and over when she asks him to “Please remember her party.” After three or four repetitions the tone turns from a plea to begging and almost crying in utter desperation.

Clarissa values throwing parties above almost everything. She ranks herself according to her abilities as a hostess. At the party she worries that people are not dancing, then is later comforted when more of a crowd begins to arrive and liven things a bit. The most rewarding thing that could happen to Clarissa as a hostess does; the Prime Minister makes an appearance. His appearance means Clarissa is a success in her book because she puts so much stock in being a hostess.

It is funny that the only times we see Clarissa in a negative light is when Peter is speaking. He sculpts her life as unfulfilling because she chose society over him. We are able to see his childish antics through his travels to India, affairs, and especially the time that he followed a young girl on her walk. He thought it fun and exciting. As a grown man he still flirts immaturely yet cannot understand why Clarissa chose Richard over him. Peter is a bit of a child and as pointed out in class similar to Peter Pan. He seems to have no drive to grow up and take full responsibility of being an adult and is nowhere near emotionally ready to settle down with a wife and children.

Elizabeth serves an important role of the new independent woman. Clarissa is the model of a woman stuck in the traditional role of the housewife, and hostess. Elizabeth begins to play with the idea of becoming independent, not like her mother. She is a young girl who is curious about the world outside of her home and her part of town. The omnibus was a way explore. The image of Elizabeth on the omnibus is very powerful for a few reasons. One, she is traveling the streets alone which was highly frowned upon during the time period. Two, she goes to a section of town that was not considered appropriate for young woman. Woman, especially at Elizabeth’s age were not to walk and travel alone.

Virginia Woolf’s ability to write an entire novel about one day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway was amazing. Time seemed to travel forward, backward, in slow motion, and even stand still for days.

Orlando

Orlando’s life is a view of aristocracy. He was privileged as a young boy and man. In the first chapter Queen Elizabeth is described as falling head over heels for him at first glance. Everyone who saw him, loved him. He had an air of entitlement. He was betrothed to a Lady of the court, Euphrosyne. He decided on her over a handful of other women who were eager to marry him. His affair with the Russian Princess shows that he felt entitled to anyone and everyone. He did not feel guilty, nor did he care about others within the court seeing him with another woman. Orlando (as a male) reminds me of Mr. Ramsay. Like Mr. Ramsay, Orlando craved instant gratification. It is a perfect dose of karma that Orlando turns into a woman, after he has belittled them in his life as a male. Perhaps Woolf wanted to show the humor in karma. The Russian Princess also gave Orlando a dose of his own medicine. She was unfaithful to him with a sailor who was most likely unsanitary, not worthy of a princess, and certainly not on the same level as the beautiful Orlando. He caught her red handed and talked himself out of what he saw. He did not/ could not believe that she would sink to the level of a common sailor when she could have him. I laughed when I read his thought process and steps of talking himself into believing she was faithful because it reminded me of Mr. Ramsay. Orlando was being a bit of a “big baby.” If it is something he doesn’t like, he does not want to hear about it. Orlando thought that no one would be unfaithful to him yet, he had the ability to be unfaithful to everyone else. He believed that he was entitled to everything.

The three spirits remind me of the three witches in Macbeth. I didn’t like this scene at all the first time I read it. It seemed silly and so far from reality. I couldn’t take it seriously, and found myself completely lost as to why Woolf would write this into the novel. It wasn’t until we read the spirits paragraphs individually that I began to understand. I was able to see the smart-aleck tone and the underlying meanings of the spirits. I saw Purity as one that hides imperfections and “spots.” Chasitity does not allow any movement. Modesty, of course is the enemy of reproduction, fruitfulness, and sex. It was interesting that someone pointed out that Modesty is the frailest and fairest of all the spirits.

Throughout my reading, Orlando stood for privilege and entitlement. I still believe that it is a very important theme throughout the novel but, we came to an alternate conclusion in class that I have grown fond of. Orlando can stand for the soul of British Literature. He changes into a woman. Throughout the history of Literature men have always run the show. Women did not even have the choice to write and become published. Eventually women were given the right to write and have proved themselves as being just as worthy as men. Orlando’s transformation into a woman shows the evolution of British Literature and societies acceptances of women’s ability and independence.

Critical Analysis of "Where the Spear Plants Grow" by Jane Lilienfeld

Jane Lilienfeld’s “Where the Spear Plant Grew” discusses the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay. Their marriage is an example of what was expected in the Victorian society. Men went out and worked for their family and women were expected to stay home and maintain the house. Lilienfeld describes Woolf’s interpretation of the marriage as being “mature with sharp critical examination. (149) Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay’s marriage was Woolf’s way of calling for a change in expectations of gender roles. In Woolf’s mind it was time for women to evolve into their own beings outside of their “domestic sphere.” This “domestic sphere” as described by Lilienfeld, limited women to only having power within their homes. Even then, when their husbands returned home the power was given the male. Women limited themselves by staying home. Lilienfeld suggests that Mrs. Ramsay is unconsciously angry at her role. This anger is transferred to further devotion to Mr. Ramsay. On the outside Mrs. Ramsay seems content with her position. As Lilienfeld exemplifies, Mrs. Ramsay says this of books, “She never had time to read them” (150). Mrs. Ramsay’s comforts herself by saying that she is far to busy to relax and read a book, therefore she leads a meaningful and productive life. Woolf wants to reader to see the need for reading and independence. Lilienfeld describes Lily Briscoe as the symbol for change. At first she wishes to structure herself according to Mrs. Ramsay but, finds that she would rather break the mold. Lily Briscoe is the symbol of the modern woman. Lilienfeld’s article explains the symbolism behind Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay’s marriage. It was Woolf’s cry for a change in societies expectations.