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?