Mrs Dalloway Suicide Essay

In the quote from Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway, the eponymous main character, Clarissa Dalloway experiences an epiphany towards the end of the novel. She’s initially upset that Lady Bradshaw would spoil her party with the mention of a man’s suicide. The thought of his death puts a temporary damper on her mood, but then she finds a sudden admiration of his suicide. Clarissa can relate to his despair and his need to end his life so suddenly. She explains, “There was an embrace in death,” (184) in which she views Septimus’ death favorably. She not only respects Septimus’ suicide, but she almost seems envious of his will to do something so incredibly profound. Though, why would she want to end her life? Perhaps, she wants to retain her
Clarissa is keenly aware of her age, whereas Septimus has no more time to spare. Time is essentially inescapable for them. For both Clarissa and Septimus, time echoes their past. While Clarissa longs for the past and struggles with time having to move forward, Septimus can’t escape his past which is why his suicide is the only way he can evade time entirely. Clarissa often reflects on her youth and her days spent with Sally and Peter, whereas Septimus is haunted by his wartime past. When she’s informed of Septimus’ suicide, it ignites a spark in her to embrace time and her age. The clock striking as she ponders his death signals that life moves on and so must she. She must ‘assemble’ herself again and return to her life. She acknowledges that Septimus’ death provided relief for him, but in order for her to find relief she needs to move on from the past. Her days at Bourton with Sally and Peter are long gone. While she’s thinking about the death of Septimus and its impact on her mindset, she takes notice of an older woman across from her window while the clock strikes at three a.m. By looking at the older woman, there’s a moment where she feels less fearful of the future and her increasing age. She’s able to come to terms with time rather than hate the inevitable fact that she will eventually grow older. Time will continue to move on, so she’s faced with the decision of choosing to stop time like Septimus did or embrace life as she knows it to be. Even though Clarissa and Septimus never cross paths, they are connected by their attempt to escape time. They are both bound by the construct of time which holds a steadfast grip on their lives, but Septimus’ premature demise helps her to make peace with her own increasing age and the fading of her