Blog #2
Part 1:
Some binaries that exist in Mrs. Dalloway include (but are not limited to): male/female, city/country, rich/poor, sane/insane, young/old, life/death and past/present. I would like to comment on the rich/poor binary in the novel. The contrast between rich and poor is most obviously displayed between the personality conflicts of Clarissa and Miss Kilman. Miss Kilman feels that Clarissa’s “life has been a tissue of vanity and deceit” (p.194). Miss Kilman goes on to classify those belonging to the upper class as worthless and condescending (p.186). Miss Kilman is certain that she has been cheated in life.
Deconstructing the interaction between Miss Kilman and Elizabeth while they are out shopping is also useful in identifying the rich/poor binary. Elizabeth claims sheer ignorance in terms of class oppression, as she “had never thought about the poor…. they lived with everything they wanted,” (p.198). Her final comment: “Miss Kilman made one feel so small,” (p.198) directs the reader’s interpretation of Miss Kilman’s personal strife, her indignities and subsequent bitterness as justifiable. As a reader, I sympathize with Miss Kilman’s circumstances and recognize the conditions and struggles of the lower class during the Victorian era. However, viewing “poor” as the ‘privileged’ term in the rich/poor binary is difficult because Miss Kilman’s embittered personality, her reliance of the church and spirituality as a vice, and hatred towards Mrs. Dalloway make her an unlikable character. Also, apart from Miss Kilman’s minor role in the novel, we are bombarded with characters of the upper-middle class, and exposed little to upper/lower class relations.
Part 2:
I would like to comment on Wendy Bird’s blog regarding the sane/insane binary. I like her analogy of Septimus’ mental condition being pushed under the rug. I don’t agree with her in regards to being able to understand Septimus’ mental condition, and to be able to tell where he is coming from. Apart from his drawings, writings and outbursts, I feel Septimus was a disengaged character –his internal monologues are not very coherent or sensible. As a reader I felt as Rezia does: unable to relate to his condition. As well, although we do know more about the post-war conditions such as shellshock, I believe treatment for people with mental conditions is still haphazard. Relating Sir William’s prescribed ‘rest treatment’ to the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” (by Charlotte Perkins Gilman) and the detrimental effects it had on the main character, I am doubtful this treatment for Septimus’ condition would have been beneficial.
Part 3:
Big Ben is a huge signpost in Mrs. Dalloway. It helps to focus attention on the characters that are all connected through their ability to hear the clock. The sound of the clock helps to move the story along, and reminds the reader it is all occurring in one day. The sound of Big Ben is often key in changing the point of view, and it is interesting to see how the characters respond to the sound of the bell. Often it seems as if the clock striking the hour (or half hour) is a cue for the characters to check back into reality, after being caught up in their own thoughts/emotions.
