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
Hi Lily! Awesome blog post! I always love connecting deeply with characters whenever I read a novel. Virginia Woolfe did an excellent job of making characters in which I see myself. I honestly related to many of the characters as I read. I felt like Septimus Smith when he was awestruck by the beauty of the world around him, and like Mr. Dalloway dropping things constantly (for him it was the hot water bottle, for me it is my normal one).
ReplyDeleteOh wow, we should all take the Dalloway quiz! I wonder which character I would be? I like to see myself as a Richard Dalloway, but I suspect that I'm probably closer to a Peter Walsh in reality. I don't have a pocket-knife, but I can be rather annoying, and associates have complained that I can be too critical. As long as I'm not Hugh Whitbread! That would hurt.
ReplyDeleteSubsequent commenters--please weigh in! What Dalloway character would YOU be? And if the answer is Sally Seton, does that mean the young Sally or Lady Rosseter? If you are Clarissa or Peter, is it the older or younger version? It makes a difference.
I might be too afraid to try and take a Mrs. Dalloway quiz, as I already felt weird when relating to Ms. Kilman too much. This was such an interesting perspective into Clarissa Dalloway - and I cannot help but wonder about how she would feel if she were to know exactly how relatable she is to the readers. Would she be defensive and claim her experiences to be too singled-out to be understood, or would she be appreciative to finally be heard?
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cool blog post! It's interesting how Woolf definitely builds the characters around each other and focuses on the relationships between the characters. Taking the character quiz is a really fun way to analyze the novel.
ReplyDeleteLily, I love that you decided to write a blog about this! I thought it was interesting I got Clarissa, as I felt like I didn't relate to her very much, but maybe the quiz knows better than I do! I can't think of a Mrs. Dalloway character I relate to easily, but I think the connections you made between yourself and Clarissa were really interesting and well thought out. Great post!
ReplyDeleteLily — That quiz was so funny. I thought Mrs. Dalloway was relatively accurate to you, but now that you mention the "perfect hostess" thing, I'm truly realizing the parallels. But (as you mention) we are all sort of Mrs. Dalloway in a way (hah, rhyming), because she reflects very human experiences like jealousy and validation-seeking, and Woolf does such a beautiful job of writing this in such detail. I think that's why it's so easy to see ourselves in her characters, they're just so well written. I think getting Sally Seton was pretty accurate for me, I see myself in her impulsiveness and unconventionality (at least for young Sally).
ReplyDeleteHi Lily! The quiz sounds really interesting, but I'm not sure what character I would be. Back on topic though, I love that you made your blog post really personal, it just shows how much you were able to analyze and understand the characters. There was another blog that I read on Mrs. Dalloway that's similar to yours in the sense there is a version of yourself that you want to preserve but aren't able to because you need to move on. Really great post!
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