Pratima Shah

  Introduction : Mrs. Dalloway is a novel written by Virginia Woolf which was first published in 1925. The story primarily revolves around the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a high-society woman in post-World War1 London. The novel "Mrs. Dalloway" talks about how people see themselves and feel lonely through the eyes of different characters. The story looks at how individuals deal with who they are and the sad and lonely feelings that can come from society's rules and personal problems.   Identity crisis : "Mrs. Dalloway" by Virginia Woolf is about characters who are confused about who they are. Some characters in the story struggle with understanding themselves and question their roles in society. Here are some examples of identity confusion in the story:   1. Clarissa Dalloway : The main character, Clarissa Dalloway, has a hard time understanding herself throughout the book. She struggles with parts of her personality, her past, and how she fits in society

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 lit

  Virginia Woolf was considered as one of the major English authors of the 20 th century. She was a forerunner in exploring the stream of consciousness as a narrative technique. “Mrs. Dalloway” is considered as one of her most renowned works of her career. Published on 14 May, 1925, “Mrs. Dalloway” focuses on the events of a particular day in the life of an upper-class Londoner named Clarissa Dalloway. The narrative of "Mrs. Dalloway" is devoid of any sense of continuity . The majority of the novel takes place in the mind of the protagonist. The novel deals with the idea of time in relation to personal experiences through a number of interconnected stories , particularly that of Mrs. Dalloway, who is preparing to host a party at her home, and the story of a victim of the horrors of the World War I, Septimus Warren Smith, who is afflicted with  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Mrs. Dalloway is critical of the conservatism and traditions of the upper classes of the time,

The word ‘Social Criticism’ means to criticize the social system of a particular society. Here, the author has criticized the superficial British upper-class society in the novel ‘Mrs. Dalloway’. Mrs. Dalloway is shown in the era when the British society was still facing the after- effects of the World War 1. This war had destroyed not only the architecture of London but it had also impacted the social system. Woolf shows London as people with different disabilities, socio- economic status and sexualities. Mrs. Dalloway shows how English society stuck to its old, outdated traditions and pretends that nothing has changed with time. Woolf criticizes social conventions through internal monologue of Clarissa Dalloway, Lady Bruton, Hugh Whitbread, Septimus, etc. in post-World War. Woolf in her novel shows how power and money can seize people’s real identity. Woolf demonstrates the mental repercussions of each character and their perspectives, experiences and backgrounds past the World War

  What is stream of consciousness? "Stream of consciousness" refers to a narrative technique that aims to depict a character's unfiltered and continuous flow of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. This technique, inspired by William James' concept of the ceaseless progression of thoughts in the mind, captures the inner workings of a character's mind in a raw and organic manner. It often involves sensory descriptions, fragmented ideas, and unconventional sentence structures to replicate the way thoughts naturally occur. This technique emerged during the modernist movement and aims to offer readers insight into a character's inner world, departing from traditional narrative styles. It was initially a psychological term that later gained significance in literary criticism. What makes stream of consciousness different ? Stream of consciousness stands apart due to several distinctive features. One key aspect is its exploration of human relationships through th