Based on the events of a single day, a Wednesday in June 1923, Mrs. Dalloway is a unique book as its narrative skillfully interweaves unconnected storylines to take place on this fateful day. The story opens with Clarissa running an errand to buy flowers. Reactions of different people can be noticed when unexpected events keep occurring throughout the day. For example, a plane writing in the sky and a car emitting an explosive noise. Peter, her old partner, shows up not long after she gets home. During their conversation, it becomes evident that the two are still very much in love with one another. In a vulnerable exchange, Peter asks Clarissa if she's happy. Elizabeth, Clarissa's daughter, cuts them off before Clarissa can respond. The narrative then shifts to a World War I veteran, Septimus Warren Smith, who is suffering from PTSD. In order to meet Sir William Bradshaw, a psychiatrist, he is waiting with his wife, Lucrezia. Another perspective switch takes place and this time we get to experience Richard’s narrative, who is going through an internal struggle with respect to his relationship with his wife Clarissa. The change in narratives keeps the reader on edge and leads to a conclusion which manages to bring everything together.
Virginia Woolf (January 25, 1882, London, Britain-kicked the bucket on March 28, 1941) was born in England. She was an English writer and novelist. In 1912, she got married to Leonard Woolf, and in 1917, they established the Hogarth Press. Her best books, including Mrs. Dalloway (1925) and To the Lighthouse (1927), were experimental, and she found unexpected success. Orlando's (1928) and The Waves (1931). These works confirmed her place among the major figures of literary modernism. Her long essay, A Room of One's Own (1929), addressed women's status and women artists in the state. Woolf's other books include Jacob's Room (1922), The Years (1937), and Between the Acts in 1941. She has written a biography of Roger Fry. Her physical and mental stability were sensitive all her life, and with this mental illness, she drowned herself. Her diaries and correspondence have been published in many editions.