Mrs. Dolloway-Analysis
Final Essay
Virginia Woolf turns to confront one of the more morose and insidious aspects of modernity in her novel Mrs. Dalloway. She explores the tragedy that is otherwise overlooked in the discussions of modernity- the tragedy of the human psychology. Amidst all the galore of mankind’s inevitable march forwards, what often gets overlooked is the element of the human. In dealing with broad movements and rapid change, we lack a proper examination of the human condition. And this is precisely the aspect of modernity that Woolf zooms in on and enlarges, throwing fresh perspective on the modern era. Her novel delves deep into the mind of her characters to isolate the voices that are otherwise lost. And perhaps one of the more intriguing voices she finds in the mind of modern man is the voice of denial. This is the central issue that this essay will explore. On first glance, it may seem like Woolf is critiquing denial as an extension of modernity’s tragedy. It may seem like denial is endemic of her cast of characters- and is never too far behind the most tragic figures in the novel. Yet this would be a simplistic look, indeed it would miss the point Woolf was trying to evoke. This paper will argue that Woolf used denial as one a means of resisting tragedy. It is the spark that denies tragedy its full due and provides resilience to the hearts of those who embrace it. In doing so, it embodies a spirit of hope- hope that tragedy itself can be denied if one holds onto denial assiduously.
This paper will initially analyze the elements of psychological tragedy that Woolf evokes in her novel. It will go on to analyze the role denial plays in helping the characters deal with the sense of tragedy that is dealt to them. A closer examination would reveal how denial had lead to the characters given a sense of hope, and strength. The counterargument can be that the hope is false in its premise and apt to lead to more hurt. However, we see that this is not the case- in
Virginia Woolf turns to confront one of the more morose and insidious aspects of modernity in her novel Mrs. Dalloway. She explores the tragedy that is otherwise overlooked in the discussions of modernity- the tragedy of the human psychology. Amidst all the galore of mankind’s inevitable march forwards, what often gets overlooked is the element of the human. In dealing with broad movements and rapid change, we lack a proper examination of the human condition. And this is precisely the aspect of modernity that Woolf zooms in on and enlarges, throwing fresh perspective on the modern era. Her novel delves deep into the mind of her characters to isolate the voices that are otherwise lost. And perhaps one of the more intriguing voices she finds in the mind of modern man is the voice of denial. This is the central issue that this essay will explore. On first glance, it may seem like Woolf is critiquing denial as an extension of modernity’s tragedy. It may seem like denial is endemic of her cast of characters- and is never too far behind the most tragic figures in the novel. Yet this would be a simplistic look, indeed it would miss the point Woolf was trying to evoke. This paper will argue that Woolf used denial as one a means of resisting tragedy. It is the spark that denies tragedy its full due and provides resilience to the hearts of those who embrace it. In doing so, it embodies a spirit of hope- hope that tragedy itself can be denied if one holds onto denial assiduously.
This paper will initially analyze the elements of psychological tragedy that Woolf evokes in her novel. It will go on to analyze the role denial plays in helping the characters deal with the sense of tragedy that is dealt to them. A closer examination would reveal how denial had lead to the characters given a sense of hope, and strength. The counterargument can be that the hope is false in its premise and apt to lead to more hurt. However, we see that this is not the case- in