Mrs. Dalloway? Mrs. Walsh? or Mrs. Seton?

As we’ve begun reading Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, there’s been a lot of discussion around the question if Clarissa seems happy or not with her current life situation. We’ve learned that she’s had three “love” interests in the past, and in the end, she chose the “conservative” option of Richard Dalloway. But even as she is married to Richard, she still thinks back to her time with her ex, Peter, and even her teenage “crush”, Sally Seton.

Although we are aware that Clarissa is married to Richard Dalloway, a very wealthy politician, throughout the book, she is always thinking back to her previous relationship with Peter Walsh. She contemplates if she was right to refuse his marriage proposal years ago, stating that “she would still find herself arguing in St. James’s Park, still making out that she had been right — and she had too — not to marry him” (Woolf, 7). For she later explains that in a marriage, “a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house” (Woolf, 7-8). In her relationship with Peter, they shared everything, which at the time, seemed tiresome to Clarissa. Whereas with Richard, don’t talk very much and are unaware of each other’s whereabouts most of the time. (Clarissa even claims that she doesn’t even bother asking). With this comparison, Clarissa convinces herself, for the apparent millionth time, that Richard was the right choice for her. But this conclusion doesn’t stop her from contemplating how life would have been if she had chosen Peter. (And later, continuously questioning if Richard is still the right choice).

Once Peter visits Clarissa on the day of her party, she becomes even more conflicted by her life choices. “Now I remember how impossible it was ever to make up my mind—and why did I make up my mind—not to marry him?” (Woolf, 41). Talking with Peter in person again proved to be “enchanting” for Clarissa. Even when Peter tells her that has fallen in love with another woman from India, a wave of jealousy comes over Clarissa as she thinks, “he was in love! Not with her. With some younger woman, of course” (Woolf, 45), implying, perhaps, that Peter was over Clarissa because she is too old for him. (Or at least that’s what Clarissa thinks). Then when Clarissa kisses Peter, all hell breaks loose in both of their minds, and it will be interesting to see how things pan out for both of them.

Now we have Sally Seton, Clarissa’s seemingly teenage obsession while at Bourton. Stating that “Sally’s power was amazing, her gift, her personality” (Woolf, 33). Sally had this dangerous appeal that Clarissa longed for. As Lydia stated in class, Sally presents opportunities that the men in her life have narrowed down. In her life with Richard, Clarissa is meant to stay home and plan parties. Although this life seemingly bores her at this moment, it’s the one she chose and, according to Peter, was seemingly destined for. Knowing all this, I am very interested in how Clarissa will end up at the end of the book. Will she have a powerful coming of age moment and realize that Richard is not the right choice for her? Will she run off with Peter to India? Will she try and find Sally Seton and return to that period of risky excitement? Or will she stay as Mrs. Richard Dalloway?

When Drifting Occurs

I know it’s been awhile since any piece of writing has been shared on this blog, so my apologies if there are any awkward pauses or inappropriate drifting in the first few posts. But, I suppose drifting should be acceptable for at least my first post, since we have all (hopefully) finished reading The Mezzanine over the summer.

To tell you the truth, I have honestly no idea if I liked The Mezzanine or not. Yes, the book really had no driving plot, (except for the continually mentioned/ mourning over the broken shoelaces), but it would be unfair to say that a book must have a clear plot line to be considered “good”. Instead of focusing on an adventure to save mankind, I think The Mezzanine takes a different direction in showcasing how one’s mind can drift throughout the day. While at school, in let’s say US History, we are expected to be contemplating how America seems to believe that we are the best nation in the world, and how our actions in the past have portrayed that, for forty-five minutes a day. But one cannot possibly believe that our mind could focus on a single subject for forty-five minutes, (at least for me this is seemingly impossible.) In my case, I tend to stray away by either studying people’s shoes or contemplating what I am going to do once the bell rings in t-45 minutes. It’s not that Mr. Sutton is an boring teacher, (in fact, I quite liked his history class), it’s just that my mind, like Howie’s, is unable to focus on a single subject for a large block of time.

Sometimes, my sidetracking is even related to the class. When Mr. Sutton was talking about 19th and 20th century America, I would picture myself back then. (I believe I have, more than once, effectively concluded that I would be a better president than at least half of the ones in the past.) My point is that we all drift off, and most of the time don’t even realize it, so it’s interesting that Mr. Baker was able to capture that element of our minds, and portray it in a book for all of us to read.

With that being said, dear god the footnotes, Howie. If one were to delete the all the footnotes in the book, (which would be almost half of the book!), the writing may have been a bit more tolerable. I mean this whole book was basically a tangent, but once you saw that “1” in the middle of a sentence, you knew that you were about to dive really deep into Howie’s brain, (which in it of itself is a black hole I can’t even begin to understand). The infamous chapter eight, where more than half of the chapter is a footnote was brutal. But I am certain that not a single stone was left unturned when given a fifteen chapter glimpse into Howie’s mind. I haven’t decided if that’s a good or bad thing, but I definitely believe that Mr. Baker was successfully able to make me question just how far my mind can go when I’m not paying attention, and if I can still be considered sane when drifting occurs.