An analysis of the characters of Septimus and Clarissa in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway.
In Virginia Wolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”, the role of death represents the disappointments both Septimus and Clarissa have experienced in their lives. This paper explains how Septimus brings his own death to escape the frustrations he experiences in life. Clarissa sees death as the hope of discovering what is a meaningful life.
“In Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, the character of Septimus is an elderly man whose mind is consumed with haunting memories of his days in war. Ever since his traumatic experiences in World War II, he finds nothing in his life worthwhile, and consequently chooses death as an alternative to boredom. Clarissa, who is the wife of Mr. Dalloway, knows her life has a greater function than serving as the perfect hostess. She desperately wishes for the afterworld to rationalize what she believes is a life without purpose.”