Narrative Techniques of the Novel - Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

INTRODUCTION

"Mrs. Dalloway" is a novel by Virginia Woolf, set on a single day in June 1923 in London. It follows the lives of two very different characters, Clarissa Dalloway, a 51-year-old socialite preparing for a party, and Septimus Warren Smith, a 30-year-old WW1 veteran dealing with shell shock. Initially, Woolf intended Clarissa to die, but later introduced Septimus as the character who would die. Through these characters, Woolf explores themes of love, death, and the meaning of life. The novel's structure and interconnectedness of characters are influenced by Joyce's "Ulysses." Woolf uses narrative techniques like free indirect discourse and "tunneling" to delve into characters' thoughts and emotions.

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

 1.  Stream of Consciousness

 2.  Symbolism

3.  Manipulation of time

 BRIEFING OF THE TECHNIQUES:

1.    STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

                                              

In literary criticism a stream of consciousness is a narrative mode which expresses multiple thoughts and feelings passes through the mind of character. Streams of Consciousness is a narrative device that attempts to give the written equivalent of  the  character thought process either in a loose interior monologue or in connection to their actions. when Clarissa walks downs the street of London she meets with her old friend Sally Seton with whom she was sexually involved. This shows human relationship is complex and is shown between friends. In the novel Peter Walsh came back from India to see Clarissa. He told  about  his  marriage . He tried to make her jealous. Peter Walsh pretended to  be  calm, normal and friendly but his inner self is broken. In the novel, Septimus Warren Smith was  a  veteran and suffered from shellshock. With the help of Stream of Consciousness technique Woolf presents the impact of war which affects the human mind but he lost his friend Evans during the war.  As other characters such as Clarissa and Septimus, lived in their own isolated world the stream of consciousness shaped the individual world of each  characters

  

2. SYMBOLISM

The symbolism is a narrative mode which expresses the mentality, concept or the mood of the character or the plot. As said "In order to know someone one must know the places or the things they like” and this places and things in the novel are termed as Symbolism and this symbols are often ambiguous. All symbolism is united by the concept of a word or object representing something beyond its literal meaning. We have three types of symbolism in the world of literature that is:

1.    Religious

2.    Romantic

3.    Emotional

In the novel Mrs. Dalloway we came across various symbols that give us insights about the character also throughout the novel there are various objects, persons that are being symbolized and those are mentioned below:

The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister symbolizes the old values and tradition in England and they are being neglected by the people. There is an instance when Lady Bruton who is known as the champion of English tradition, when she compliments Hugh, she calls him “My Prime Minister” the Prime Minister which can also mean old establishment. Then we have another when Peter Walsh insulted Clarissa by saying “she would marry a Prime Minister”, this depicts she is Perfect Hostess but in sarcasm.

 Peter Walsh's  pocket knife and weapon

 Here the Peter Walsh was seen continuously playing with his pocketknife which depicts his inability to take decision between what he feels and what he should do, it’s the line between whether he should adapt or fight against the English civilization or accept the way it is. This pocketknife depicts Peter’s quality of avoiding criticism. Also the characters we see in the novel are divided into 2 groups that is armed and non-armed which means in the novel there are various characters who are fighting for something this can be termed as armed. E.g.: The character of Septimus whose literal weapon is war, who commits suicide by jumping off the cliff. (Metal fence)

The old woman in the window

 The old woman in the window living across the Clarissa’s house depicts the privacy or the loneliness of the soul that comes with the age. Mrs. Clarissa sees her future in the old woman as she will also become old and alone as this is the rule of life. As she reflects more and communicate less she would suppress and lock her thoughts, feelings inside her soul, just as the old woman wanders alone around the rooms of her house. The old woman signifies the peace and serenity and Clarissa also believes that the preserving of women’s interior life and independence is the beauty, even when Septimus tries to jump off he saw old man parallel to the old woman as Septimus and Clarissa both viewing and preserving of life is in an opposite ways and these image resonate with their loneliness, privacy and communication.

Flowers

 Clarissa first action in the novel is buying the flowers where see observe different types of flowers like lilac, sweet peas etc. The flowers then appear in the whole novel and they are source of joy for Clarissa who romanticizes beauty of world. Here flowers are also signified as love because Elizabeth is often compared to rose and also Richard gave the rose to the Clarissa which is indirect way of saying “I love you”. Then later it also depicts the crucial aspects of Clarissa’s memory:

Sally went out, picked hollyhocks, dahlias – all sorts of flowers that had never been seen together – cut their heads off, and made them swim on the top of water in bowls. The effect was extraordinary – coming in to dinner in the sunset. (Of course Aunt Helena thought it wicked to treat flowers like that).

Woolf here knows that how beauty, flowers and love go along together and are connected to the femininity. When Sally performs the above mentioned action Aunt Helena counts it as some corruption on femininity although this a comment on the conservative view toward female sexuality. As mentioned in the novel Sally gave a kiss to the Clarissa which she thinks about the whole day.

 Water Imagery

The author that is Virginia Woolf committed suicide by drowning herself into the river. In the novel we can see water as a grim but with Septimus's suicide the symbol of water remains ambiguous as throughout the novel there are various words like drowning, plunging, dying etc. are used to depict the water as a death pool and we find Septimus once discussing about the death while standing near the bank of river. Then further water depicts serenity and naturalism as Clarissa's gown was compared to mermaids this shows certain attraction in water or the idea that she feels natural in it. Further when Peter was sitting in the park in the park, he thinks of "sirens lolloping away on the green sea waves" this suggest that memories are like waves coming and going rather than being still.

3. MANIPULATION

In the novel "Mrs. Dalloway," Virginia Woolf exhibits a remarkable adeptness in deftly handling both clock time and psychological time. The narrative incorporates allusions to historical time and significant events, particularly influenced by the backdrop of the recently concluded war.

The Mechanical Time (Clock Time)

Mechanical Time, as depicted in the novel, delineates the narrative's events over the span of a single day. The story commences in the early morning as Clarissa emerges from her residence in Westminster. By eleven o'clock, Peter unexpectedly makes an entrance, and shortly thereafter, at half-past eleven, Peter experiences a peculiar revelation in Trafalgar Square. At a quarter to twelve, Septimus displays a smile towards the deceased man in the grey suit. The clock strikes precisely twelve as Septimus and Lucrezia step into Sir William Bradshaw's abode, coinciding with Clarissa Dalloway placing her verdant attire on the bed. Progressing through the day, half-past one witnesses Hugh Whitbread and Richard Dalloway convening for lunch at Lady Bruton's residence on Brook Street. The clock strikes three as Richard returns home bearing flowers meant for Mrs. Dalloway. Around half-past three, Mrs. Dalloway observes an elderly lady moving away from a window. As evening unfolds, the narrative reaches six o'clock, marking Septimus' tragic act of self-inflicted demise, while Peter contemplates civilization's merits. Thus, the ticking clock becomes an unwavering force, weaving together incongruent events, parting companions, and rendering emotions irrational.

The Psychological Time

While the scope of clock time remains quite limited, the realm of psychological time extends significantly. It stretches from the characters' earliest recollections to the occurrence of crucial events. Within the novel, certain pivotal moments of psychological time encompass:

1.    Clarissa Dalloway’s reflections: The story primarily centers on Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares for her party. Her thoughts and memories constantly shift between her current activities, such as buying flowers and meeting people, and her past experiences, including her youth, relationships, and regrets.

 

2.    Septimus Warren Smith’s trauma: Septimus, a war veteran, struggles with severe psychological trauma from his experiences in World War I. His psychological experience is characterized by unsettling instances of recollections, hallucinatory perceptions, and endeavors to manage the repercussions of war on his mental condition.

 

3.    Revisiting the past: Various characters, including Clarissa, Peter Walsh, and Sally Seton, revisit their pasts through their thoughts and memories. These moments of psychological time provide insight into their formative experiences and how they continue to influence their lives in the present.

 

4.    The Big Ben chimes: The chiming of the clock at Westminster, a recurring motif in the novel, punctuates the characters’ psychological time, serving as a reminder of the passage of time and the interconnection of their experiences.

 

 

5.    Inner dialogues: Throughout the novel, characters engage in internal dialogues with themselves, reflecting on their relationships, desires, fears, and aspirations. These inner monologues contribute to the exploration of their psychological time.

These events of psychological time create a rich and intricate narrative, offering readers a deep

understanding of the characters’ inner lives and the complexities of their thoughts and emotions. Virginia

Woolf’s masterful use of stream of consciousness allows readers to experience the flow of time as 

intimately connected to the characters’ inner worlds.

CONCLUSION

The narrative technique used in "Mrs. Dalloway" by Virginia Woolf is known for its stream - of -consciousness style. It allows readers to experience the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters in a fragmented and interconnected manner. The novel's conclusion emphasizes the importance of human connection and the passage of time, as Clarissa Dalloway reflects on her life and the complexities of existence. Woolf's skillful use of this narrative technique contributes to the profound exploration of inner lives and societal themes within the novel.

 

SOURCES

Novel: Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

https://www.shmoop.com/mrs-dalloway/symbolism-imagery.html%20

Research Guru: Online Journal of Multidisciplinary Subjects

https://in.docworkspace.com/d/sIHj8l5YypeaspgY?sa=00&st=0t

 

Note: This blog is written by my TYBA English students: Nahaliya Fatema tus Sughra, Aafiya Saiyed, Aayushi Mehta and Yamini Mohta.