This story is about Clarissa Dalloway, a high-society lady in London, who spends her day buying flowers in the morning, meeting with an old friend in the afternoon, and hosting a party in the evening. Her story is interlaced with that of Septimus, a war veteran struggling with his mental health, whom she never actually meets.
Woolf entertains us not by a normal life of Clarissa, but in her mind and others'—a technique I find incredibly unique, for her time and even today. We are reading the flowing thoughts of Clarissa: how she is so upset after learning that she was not invited to Lady Bruton's lunch party; how that makes her question if Lady Bruton might actually hate her or look down on her; how it reminds her that she is not getting any younger; and how her life has not been particularly 'successful' as a wife of a great politician. She reflects on how her marriage is all right, but not as great, and how she misses her old friends—especially Sally, whom she kissed once and liked, and her thought comes to an end when Elizabeth, her daugther, comes to her room. It is so entertaining to watch Virginia Woolf surgically unfold the flow of consciousness of us humans in form of words with such precision.
Woolf reminds us all that even though we share the same exact physical reality, we live in totally different realities within our own minds. Even when characters are physically in the same place, their minds are not together in the slightest. While Clarissa is lamenting about how Miss Kilman—Elizabeth's history tutor, a religion preacher, and her archnemesis—is trying to 'steal' her daugther, as Elizabeth shows no interest in high-societly lifestyle of flowers, gloves and dresses, Miss Kilman is busy pitying Clarissa's shallow, wealthy life; yet, deep down, she craves the ease that Clarissa has and, more than anything, Elizabeth's companionship. She masks her jealousy with the belief that her suffering is a part of a merciful plan by God. Then we finally get into the mind of Elizabeth, who just wants to be free from these two adults' expectations, daydreaming about a future as a doctor, a farmer, or a professional woman who is financially independent of any man.
In the middle of the story, we jump to Reiza and her husband, Septimus. Their story is a stark contrast to Clarissa’s social circle. Before the war, Septimus was a man who loved Shakespeare and had a brilliant career ahead of him. However, feeling the pressure to be 'manly,' he went to war. He complied with social norms, only to lose his best friend, Evans, on the battlefield and subsequently lose his ability to feel... Reiza has been desperately taking care of him since they married. Septimus visits Dr. Holmes, who insists there is nothing wrong with him and that he just needs to 'take an interest in things' like cricket. Then he visits Sir William Bradshaw, who tells Reiza that Septimus must be institutionalized until he becomes 'normal.' Everyone respects Sir William's authority because he is the top specialist. At that time, PTSD was unknown, and mental health was seen as a lack of effort. These doctors speak as if they own reality and try to force Septimus to conform. Septimus still sees the beauty and value of life, but to avoid being crushed by social conformity, he chooses to fight with all his strength to keep his soul his own.
In conclusion, Woolf reveals that we are all vastly different within our own minds. No matter how punishingly society tries to impose a 'standard' reality on us, we remain the only true experts on our own souls. We are all like the people in her world: fighting desperately, worrying nervously at times, and daydreaming on other occasions. No matter how much someone tries to impose their own reality on us, we are the only ones who truly know our own minds. We are all just trying to navigate the complex, beautiful, and sometimes terrifying flow of our own thoughts.
The whole world was clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes. But why should he kill himself for their sakes? Food was pleasant; the sun hot;