達洛維夫人mrs dalloway

1、An Approach to Mrs. DallowayVirginia WoolfoI. Brief Introduction oII. Analysis of Mrs. DallowayoIII. CommentoIV. Q&AVirginia Woolf I. Brief Introduction.oMrs Dalloway (published on 14 May 1925) is a novel by Virginia Woolf that details a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway in post-World War I Engla

2、nd. It is one of Woolfs best-known novels.oCreated from two short stories, Mrs Dalloway in Bond Street and the unfinished The Prime Minister, the novels story is of Clarissas preparations for a party of which she is to be hostess. With the interior perspective of the novel, the story travels forward

3、s and back in time and in and out of the characters minds to construct an image of Clarissas life and of the inter-war social structure.Plot SummaryoClarissa Dalloway goes around London in the morning, getting ready to host a party that evening. The nice day reminds her of her youth at Bourton and m

4、akes her wonder about her choice of husband; she married the reliable Richard Dalloway instead of the enigmatic and demanding Peter Walsh and she had not the option to be with Sally Seton. Peter reintroduces these conflicts by paying a visit that morning.oSeptimus Warren Smith, a veteran of World Wa

5、r I suffering from deferred traumatic stress, spends his day in the park with his Italian-born wife Lucrezia, where they are observed by Peter Walsh. Septimus is visited by frequent and indecipherable hallucinations, mostly concerning his dear friend Evans who died in the war. Later that day, after

6、he is prescribed involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital, he commits suicide by jumping out of a window.oClarissas party in the evening is a slow success. It is attended by most of the characters she has met in the book, including people from her past. She hears about Septimus suicide at th

7、e party and gradually comes to admire the act of this stranger, which she considers an effort to preserve the purity of his happiness.oDearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again: I feel we cant go through another of those terrible times. And I shant recover this time. I begin to hear voices,

8、and cant concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way all that anyone could be. I dont think two people could have been happier till this terrible disease came. I cant fight it any longer, I know that I am s

9、poiling your life, that without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I cant even write this properly. I cant read. What I want to say is that I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been entirely patient with me and incredibly good. I want to say that - everybody knows it. If

10、anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but the certainty of your goodness. I cant go on spoiling your life any longer. I dont think two people could have been happier than we have been. ThemesoThe novel has two main narrative lines involving two separate char

11、acters (Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Smith); within each narrative there is a particular time and place in the past that the main characters keep returning to in their minds. For Clarissa, the continuous present (Gertrude Steins phrase) of her charmed youth at Bourton keeps intruding into her thou

12、ghts on this day in London. For Septimus, the continuous present of his time as a soldier during the Great War keeps intruding, especially in the form of Evans, his comrade.Mental illnessoSeptimus, as the shell-shocked war hero, operates as a pointed criticism of the treatment of mental illness and

13、depression. Woolf lashes out at the medical discourse through Septimus decline and suicide; his doctors make snap judgments about his condition, talk to him mainly through his wife and dismiss his urgent confessions before he can make them. Rezia remarks that Septimus was not ill. Dr Holmes said the

14、re was nothing the matter with him.oWoolf goes beyond criticizing the treatment of mental illness. Using the characters of Clarissa and Rezia, she makes the argument that people can only interpret Septimus shell-shock according to their cultural norms. Throughout the course of the novel Clarissa doe

15、s not meet Septimus. Clarissas reality is vastly different from that of Septimus; his presence in London is unknown to Clarissa until his death becomes idle chat at her party. By never having these characters meet, Woolf is suggesting that mental illness can be contained to the individuals who suffe

16、r from it without others who remain unaffected ever having to witness it. Mental illnessoThis allows Woolf to weave her criticism of the treatment of the mentally ill with her larger argument, which is the criticism of societys class structure. Her use of Septimus as the stereotypically traumatized

17、man from the war is her way of showing that there were still reminders of the First World War in 1923 London. These ripples affect Mrs. Dalloway and readers spanning generations. Shell shock or post traumatic stress disorder is an important addition to the early 20th century canon of post-war Britis

18、h Literature.oThere are similarities in Septimus condition to Woolfs struggles with bipolar disorder (they both hallucinate that birds sing in Greek and Woolf once attempted to throw herself out of a window as Septimus does). Woolf eventually committed suicide by drowning.oWoolfs original plan for h

19、er novel called for Clarissa to kill herself during her party. In this original version, Septimus (whom Woolf called Mrs. Dalloways double) did not appear at all.Existential issuesoWhen Peter Walsh sees a girl in the street and stalks her for half an hour, he notes that his relationship to the girl

20、was made up, as one makes up the better part of life. By focusing on characters thoughts and perceptions, Woolf emphasizes the significance of private thoughts rather than concrete events in a persons life. Most of the plot in Mrs Dalloway is realizations that the characters subjectively make.oFuele

21、d by her bout of ill health, Clarissa Dalloway is emphasized as a woman who appreciates life. Her love of party-throwing comes from a desire to bring people together and create happy moments. Her charm, according to Peter Walsh who loves her, is a sense of joie de vivre, always summarized by the sen

22、tence There she was. She interprets Septimus Smiths death as an act of embracing life and her mood remains light even though she hears about it in the midst of the party. Feminism oAs a commentary on inter-war society, Clarissas character highlights the role of women as the proverbial Angel in the H

23、ouse and embodies sexual and economic repression and the narcissism of bourgeois women who have never known the hunger and insecurity of working women. She keeps up with and even embraces the social expectations of the wife of a patrician politician but she is still able to express herself and find

24、distinction in the parties she throws.oHer old friend Sally Seton, whom Clarissa admires dearly, is remembered as a great independent woman: She smoked cigars, once ran down a corridor naked to fetch her sponge-bag and made bold, unladylike statements to get a reaction from people. When Clarissa mee

25、ts her in the present day, she turns out to be a perfect housewife, having married a self-made rich man and given birth to five sons. HomosexualityoClarissa Dalloway is strongly attracted to Sally at Bourton 34 years later, she still considers the kiss they shared to be the happiest moment of her li

26、fe. She feels about women as men feel, but she does not recognize these feelings as signs of homosexuality.oSimilarly, Septimus is haunted by the image of his dear friend Evans. Evans, his commanding officer, is described as being undemonstrative in the company of women. The narrator describes Septi

27、mus and Evans behaving together like two dogs playing on a hearth-rug who, inseparable, had to be together, share with each other, fight with each other, quarrel with each other. Jean E. Kennard notes that the word share could easily be read in a Forsteran manner, perhaps as in Forsters Maurice whic

28、h shows the words use in this period to describe homosexual relations. Kennard is one to note Septimus increasing revulsion at the idea of heterosexual sex, abstaining from sex with Rezia and feeling that the business of copulation was filth to him before the end.Modern literatureTime:1910-1945 Char

29、acteristics of Modernism Modern literature often features a marked pessimism, a clear rejection of the optimism apparent in Victorian literature. Modern literature often moves beyond the limitations of the Realist novel with a concern for larger factors such as social or historical change ，this is p

30、rominent in stream of consciousness writing. The Modernism emphasis on a radical individualism which can be seen in the many literary manifestos ，such as Richard Hollenbecks “First German Dada Manifesto” of 1918 . Modern literature attempted to move from the bonds of Realist literature and introduce

31、 concepts such as disjointed timelines. Modernist literature developed a style that can be characterized by a preoccupation with stylistic novelty, formal fragmentation, multiple perspectives, and alternatives to traditional narrative forms. criticismoHer work was criticised for n epitomizing the na

32、rrow world of the upper-middle class English intelligentsia. n be lacking in universality and depth, without the power to communicate anything of emotional or ethical relevance to the reader, oas an anti-Semite, Peter WalshRichard DallowaySally SetonClarissa DallowayElizabeth DallowaySeptimus SmithL

33、ucreziaDr. Holmes William BradshawClarissa DallowayClarissa DallowayClarissa Dallowayo The heroine of the novel, Clarissa is analyzed in terms of her life, personality, and thought process throughout the book by the author and other characters. Clarissa enjoys the moment-to-moment aspect of life and

34、 believes that a piece of her remains in every place she has visited. She lacks a certain warmth, but is a caring woman who is touched by the people around her and their connection to life in general. Clarissa feels that her parties are her gift to the world and is proud to share herself with others

35、. Clarissa And SallySally Seton/Lady Rosseter o As a young woman, she was Clarissas best friend, staying with Clarissa at Bourton because she was considerably poorer than Clarissa. Sally enjoyed causing a raucous by making outrageous claims and acting on a rebellious instinct that led her to smoke c

36、igars, run naked down the halls, and do other crazy stunts that were not condoned by Clarissas relatives. She represents Clarissas true but unfulfilled love. As an older woman, she has surprisingly married a wealthy man and had a family, though she retains many of her spirited qualities. Richard Dal

37、loway o Clarissas husband, Richard is in love with his wife but feels uncomfortable showing his affection. A member of the government, he continually must attend councils, committees, and important meetings. He is called on by Lady Bruton for counsel, but is viewed by Sally Seton as not reaching his

38、 potential. She and Peter feel that he would have rather been in the country on a farm. Clarissa was attracted to him for his direct ideas, command of situations, and facility with animals. Peter Walsh o Clarissas beau before Richard, Peter does not see Clarissa often after their break up. He had mo

39、ved to India, married, separated, and then fallen in love again. The day of the novel, he returns to London and visits Clarissa. There is still an intensity between them and Peter reveals later to Sally Seton that Clarissa ruined his life by refusing to marry him. He rethinks much of their time at B

40、ourton and decides to attend Clarissas party even though he hates her parties. He waits the entire party just to speak with her or be near her. Elizabeth Dalloway o Clarissa and Richards daughter, she is described as strangely dark and exotic looking. She garners much attention from suitors but woul

41、d rather spend her time in the country with her father and dog than at her mothers party. She is close to Miss Kilman but finds Miss Kilman odd and awkward at times. She sometimes imagines that she may be a veterinarian so that she can care for animals. Septimus Smitho Often considered Clarissas dop

42、pelganger, Septimus was a successful, intelligent, literary young man before World War I. During the war, he wins many honors and friends. After a good friend, Evans, is killed, he realizes that he can no longer feel. Marrying Rezia in an attempt to move on, Septimus never regains an emotional attac

43、hment to the world. The couple moves back to London and Septimus returns to his good job, but he slowly slips into further depths of despair and horror. He hears voices, namely of Evans, and becomes extremely sensitive to color and natural beauty. The doctors compound his problems by ignoring them,

44、and they become the embodiment of evil and humanity, in his mind. When Dr. Holmes pushes into his home to see him, Septimus throws himself out the window to his death. Lucrezia Warren Smith o Septimus wife, Lucrezia lived in Italy before marrying and made hats with her sister. She is young and fun l

45、oving, but becomes seriously humiliated and sad when Septimus starts slipping into insanity. She wanted a normal marriage with children, not a man who talks to himself. When they first met, he had introduced her to Shakespeare and listened to her. Rezia tries to protect her husband from the doctors,

46、 but, in the end, she cannot. Sir William Bradshaw o The esteemed psychologist who treats Septimus after Dr. Holmes, Bradshaw recommends rest in the country for Septimus so he can be reoriented to Bradshaws strict ideal of proportion. He recognizes that Septimus is seriously suffering from post-war

47、anguish. He is hated by Septimus because he represents humanity along with Holmes, by Rezia because he tries to separate the couple, and by Clarissa because he makes the lives of his patients intolerable. the the storystory Sussex，England 19411941Virginia Woolf begins her last novel,Mrs. Dalloway.Le

48、onard has nursed her through her illnesses, does not demand what she cant provide and so is always gentle with her. She determines to move back to London, better to die there raving mad than evaporate in Richmond. She drownsherself in the river.Los Angeles 1951 Laura reads the beginning of Mrs. Dall

49、owayMrs. Dalloway, trying to lose herself. Laura and Richie begin to make the birthday cake for her husband Dan.She thinks about committing suicide, but rejects the idea .Laura eventually abandons her family .New York City 2001Clarissa buys flowers for the party she is giving for her best friend and

50、 former lover Richard.Richard has given her the nickname Mrs. Dalloway Richard is dying of AIDS. He is not sure he has the will or the strength to accept his award, which he insists, he is getting because he has AIDS and not because of his literary talents. Richard admits that he feels like a failur

51、e, tells Clarissa he loves her, leans further out the window.Thought-provoking and emotiveo A womans whole life in a single day, just one day, and in that day, her whole life.o Its on this day, this day of all days, her fate becomes clear to her. Mrs. DallawayMrs. Dallaway said She would buy the flo

52、wers said She would buy the flowers herself”.herself”.Virginia Woolfchoose to dieoSomeone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more. Its contrast. oYou cannot find peace by avoiding life. Mrs. DallawayMrs. Dallaway said She would buy the flowers said She would buy the flowers he

53、rself”.herself”. Thought-provoking and emotiveThought-provoking and emotiveo My life has been stolen from me. Im living in a town I have no wish to live in. Im living a life I have no wish to live. How did this happen? o But if it is a choice between Richmond and death, I choose death. Mrs. Dallaway

54、Mrs. Dallaway said She would buy the flowers said She would buy the flowers herself”.herself”.Thought-provoking and emotive Dear Leonard. To look life in the face. 要把人生看透， Always to look life in the face一定要永遠真實地直面人生， and to know it for what it is. 了解人生的本質(zhì)， At last to know it.當(dāng)你終于了解人生， To love it for

55、 what it is, 就能真正的熱愛生命， and then, to put it away. 然后才舍得放下。 Mrs. DallawayMrs. Dallaway said She would buy the flowers herself”. said She would buy the flowers herself”.Thought-provoking and emotive Leonard. Always the years between us. Always the years. Always the love. Always the hours. Mrs. Dallawa

56、yMrs. Dallaway said She would buy the flowers said She would buy the flowers herself”.herself”.Thought-provoking and emotiveLaura Brownchoose to escape o Laura Brown: Were baking the cake for daddy, to show him that we love him. n Richie Brown: Otherwise he wont know? n Laura Brown: Thats right. Mrs

57、. DallawayMrs. Dallaway said She would buy the flowers herself”. said She would buy the flowers herself”.Thought-provoking and emotiveo It would be wonderful to say you regretted. It would be easy. o What does it mean to regret when you have no choice?o Its what you can bear. And there it is. No one

58、s going to forgive me. it was death. I chose life. Mrs. DallawayMrs. Dallaway said She would buy the flowers said She would buy the flowers herself”.herself”.Thought-provoking and emotive Clarissa Vaughanchoose to hugeo Sally, I think Ill buy the flowers myself.o That is what we do. That is what peo

59、ple do. They stay alive for each other. Mrs. DallawayMrs. Dallaway said She would buy the flowers herself”. said She would buy the flowers herself”.Thought-provoking and emotiveo I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. You know, that feeling? And I remember

60、thinking to myself this is the beginning of happiness. This is where it starts. And of course there will always be more. It never occurred to me it wasnt the beginning. It was happiness. It was the moment. Right then. Mrs. DallawayMrs. Dallaway said She would buy the flowers said She would buy the f