Virginia Woolf’s Mr. Dalloway criticizes conventions of society by portraying the inner thoughts, Clarissa Dalloway’s, and those around her, in post-World War I London. Woolf uses the different perspectives of characters from various backgrounds to illustrate the mental repercussions that the war had on people. Clarissa, the protagonist of the story, and Septimus at first appear to be very different. Septimus suffers from undiagnosed PTSD and Clarissa is a matriarchal female who is dedicated to keeping her family sane. Woolf might have chosen to “diagnose” the male antagonist with insanity because of her feminist views, but once we learn what Clarissa thinks, it is clear that she’s far from sane. Woolf juxtaposes Clarissa against Septimus to show the impossibility of escaping from social oppression unless one dies, as well as the consequences that come with sacrificing your soul to conform.
Septimus, like Clarissa, is trapped in a societal trap. They are both victims of societal subjugation, emotional repression and a pressure to conform. Clarissa’s and Septimus’ marriages are based on a weak foundation. Woolf suggests Septimus might have loved Evans, another soldier he served alongside in the war. Septimus claims he has committed a “sin that human nature condemned him to his death, that he had not felt.” He didn’t care when Evans died; that was worse,” (89), yet he obsesses over Evan’s death so frequently that it seems impossible that he is not concerned. Clarissa also has to pretend to be someone else to the public than who she is. Clarissa, on the other hand, is too concerned about Sally’s feelings, what others think about her and even about her past. Septimus and Clarissa are affected by this homoerotic behavior, which is also a sign of insecurity. It has a negative impact on their marriage and relationships. Clarissa’s “touch of bird about her… she was perched” and Septimus being “beak-nosed”, are both compared physically. Clarissa’s and Septimus’ desire to be “free” is illustrated by this comparison. Septimus also kills himself by flying through a window in order to escape society. Septimus’ doctor, Sir William Bradshaw “swoops”, “devours” him as if he was a bird-of-prey (99). Sir William is obsessed with conformity and prescribes Septimus as a way to “cure”, or change, who he’s become in order to shape him into an ideal, obedient society mold.
Clarissa and Septimus are connected by their infatuation for death. They also illustrate that dying is the only means of escape from oppression. Septimus is obsessed with Evan’s demise, while Clarissa is obsessed with her own inevitable death. Both protagonists consider death a win, although neither wants to die. Clarissa is convinced that death represents an “attempt at communication” and an “embrace”. She states explicitly that she is not sorry for Septimus’ suicide. Clarissa, Septimus and others are not able to communicate while they live as outcasts. Rezia was “shocked” when Septimus committed suicide. Rezia’s acceptance of Septimus as he is now can be seen in this first instance. Septimus says he is not ready to die, but he sacrifices his physical self to save his soul. Septimus and Clarissa also refer to Shakespeare’s Cymbeline’s line: “Fear No More the Heat o’ The Sun / Nor Furious Winter’s Rages”. The line comes from a funeral tune that embraces death in order to escape from life’s troubles. Though neither character fits the conventional mold of society in terms of their physical or mental characteristics, their hearts are made to be accepted by no one else but themselves. Septimus finds himself in a strange place until his death. Clarissa, meanwhile, never finds happiness or herself.
Clarissa and Septimus’ obsession to protect themselves from the pressure of conforming to society drives them into insanity. The internal thoughts of the characters reveal that “sanity”, as we know it, is a subjective term. Clarissa may be able to control her fears and emotions better than Septimus. However, her stability as a reader is also compromised. Septimus’s (101) “outcast gazed backward at the inhabited region” (100) shows that insanity results from a lack or connection with society. Clarissa’s mental state is a matter of debate. Clarissa claims she feels “far from home and alone” (eight). She is also insecure with her social role and believes that “she felt invisible, unseen and unknown” (10). Clarissa is lonely and misunderstood. Septimus, in contrast, wants to be left alone. Both characters want to protect the privacy and security of their souls. Clarissa compromises her passion by marrying Richard but Septimus preserves his soul because he chooses death. Septimus becomes reborn this way while Clarissa has “a feeling of emptiness in her heart” (30). Septimus sacrifices mind and soul to save his body, while Clarissa sacrifices mind and soul to save her body. Clarissa sacrifices a happy future to please society. Septimus sacrificed the future he would have had by continuing her relationship. Both decisions demonstrate the mental and emotional pressures that conformity and social norms can put on individuals. Clarissa was the victim of a serious internal battle but she chose to marry Richard. Septimus on the other had a dangerous external battle that resulted in an ongoing internal battle. They were mad when they lost people they loved, but insane when their own sanity was threatened.
Clarissa’s uncensored inner thoughts and Septimus’s uncensored external thoughts prove that our sanity can be subjective. Clarissa’s “real-world” definition differs from Septimus and their viewpoints are entirely unique. The “real” world is more a collection of rules, inventions and social norms created by men: time, laws, morals and social norms. The everyday traits that make up our daily lives can bring order and routine, but also isolation, as Mrs. Dalloway illustrates. The theme that one must protect their soul and be true to themselves, regardless of what society thinks, reveals the internal struggle of being yourself versus being someone else’s version of you.
