Clarissa and Sally
One thing that I was constantly thinking about when reading Mrs. Dalloway was Clarissa herself, and how she wasn't satisfied with her life of being 'the perfect hostess'. The book starts with her going to get flowers for the party she will host, with her at the start displaying the character of a 'perfect wife' for a parliament member. As the story progresses however, it is found out that Clarissa feels dissatisfaction with this life, and wishes that she could be a common person, with freedom. The character that Clarissa thinks most fits this is Sally.
Sally was the only person that Clarissa truly admired. When thinking back about the scene at Bourton, she truly feels like she was in love with Sally. These feelings show most when she thinks back to a certain memory on page 35. "Sally stopped; picked a flower; kissed her on the lips. The whole world might have turned upside down!" With the kiss, Clarissa truly felt like she had gone against societal norms. Sally let her be able to ignore having to marry a man, and instead left her feeling excitement and happiness by loving a woman. Clarissa thinks fondly of this memory, but later it is revealed that Sally has gone through a huge change.
It's ironic that Sally became a married housewife that had to give up on her dreams, after she had been shown to rebel against societal pressures as a woman. But unlike Clarissa, she is content with her life. While they both might feel a few regrets about how things played out for them, they both also knew that going against society wasn't going to work for them, and I find that tragic.
I also find it sad how they both sort of had to fall into place. Their roles show the societal structure of the time. I think how Clarissa handles it is something deep to think about. She cares what others (peter) will think about her being a hostess and yet she seems content being one. Good post!
ReplyDeleteI really like your point about how Sally represents the freedom that Clarissa wishes she had in her own life. I also found it interesting how Sally, who was once rebellious and went against society's expectations, eventually ended up living a more traditional life. What surprised me most was how Clarissa still sees Sally as a symbol of freedom despite how much she has changed. Do you think Clarissa would have been less disappointed with her own life if Sally had stayed the same rebellious person she remembered? Even rekindle their prior love for one another?
ReplyDeleteYes! I can agree that Sally is a sort of representation of the youthful freedom and juvenile ideals of life; showing that even this representation eventually conforms to the ideals of their society - so surely Clarissa would have had to do so, as well. This was a very well thought out think piece, and I can't wait to see more work of yours!
ReplyDeleteI really like how you expanded on the dynamic that Clarissa was kind of forced into her life as a married woman while Sally chose that path, and how it affects both of them differently. I also find it interesting how Sally ended up choosing the traditional path even after rejecting the traditional societal standards for women in her youth. Great blog post!
ReplyDeleteHello Gemma. I agree that it is sad that Clarissa’s and Sally’s early rebellion was quelled. I think it was particularly interesting that Woolf did not reveal Sally’s future until the very end of the novel, around the same she is overwhelmed by Septimus’ suicide. I think there is intentional proximity to those two events. I believe that revelation that Sally Seton was now Lady Rosseter symbolizes that the last of Clarissa’s wistful thinking. The past is officially the past, and it represents a finality of Clarissa’s choice to live more conventionally. Paired with how emotional she became because Septimus’ suicide, it is highlighted how deeply unhappy she is with her life.
ReplyDelete