When we were close to finishing the story, Finn, Karenna, and I all took a random “Which Mrs. Dalloway Character Are You?” quiz out of curiosity during a brain break. Both Karenna and I got Mrs. Dalloway and Finn got Sally Seton. I found these results pretty accurate as when I was reading the book, I found Clarissa’s character quite relatable. From her outlook on religion to the jealousy she felt towards others, I realized that even with the major age and wealth gap, she was still a regular girl at heart. Though it was a pain to be inside her head at times, many of her revelations about life, love, and death resonated with me.
For example, Clarissa’s relationship with Peter Walsh. I too had my own, but not in the same “romantic” sense. My Peter was my biggest supporter and critic. “Peter” would constantly tear me down, and a lot of the time they were right about the things they said. For most of my high school career I searched for validation in others whether it be friends, partners, teachers, my family, but much like Clarissa as I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that I should have been searching for that validation in myself.
Something painfully ironic as well is that I have been described as the perfect hostess by my friends and family as well. I take pride, much like Clarissa, in giving my loved ones that flawless experience and taking on the great burden of purchasing snacks.
I think this is what makes Clarissa so interesting to me. She is constantly reflecting on her choices and wondering what her life could have been and as I’m about to enter the next chapter of my life (as cheesy as it sounds), I want to continue being the person I want to be. She gave herself a purpose and while it may seem “small” in the scheme of things, it made her happy. Even though I obviously have not experienced the kind of life Clarissa has, I understand the feeling of looking back at an old, almost unrecognizable version of yourself and wondering why you cared so much about someone’s opinion.
It was funny taking the quiz and seeing which characters we got and I never realized it would inspire my blog post. All in all, Clarissa’s character is one of my favorites because underneath the disguise she puts on, she is still a person trying to figure out who she is and whether the choices she's made are the right ones. Honestly, all of us are still trying to figure that out too, no matter what stage of life we’re in.
- Lily Rowell
