In 1998, Michael Cunningham’s The Hours brought Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway into the modern literary landscape, imagining Woolf as she labored over the manuscript of her revolutionary novel. Cunningham’s portrayal of Woolf is one of self-doubt, wondering if a single day in the life of an “ordinary woman” could provide enough material for a full novel.
The answer, of course, was an emphatic yes. Mrs. Dalloway not only answered Woolf’s own question, but it also laid the groundwork for a narrative style and thematic exploration that would influence generations of writers. A century after its debut, Woolf’s fourth novel remains an indispensable text, as relevant to contemporary readers and writers as it was upon its release.
Published on May 14, 1925 by Woolf’s Hogarth Press, Mrs. Dalloway was a family affair in every sense. The cover design, a striking yellow and black ink painting of a bouquet left on a windowsill, was created by Woolf’s sister, the artist Vanessa Bell. Vintage Classics editor Charlotte Knight reflects on the collaboration between the two sisters, noting that the novel’s creation was a product of “family and friendship” – a spirit that, even after 100 years, continues to make the book feel “fresh and free.”
A Radical Shift in Narrative Style
Woolf’s shift in narrative style was outlined a year earlier in her 1924 essay, Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown. In this manifesto, Woolf argued that novelists should look beyond external characteristics like appearance and occupation to explore the inner life of their characters. This introspective approach marked a stark contrast to the more traditional character development of earlier novelists like E. M. Forster and Arnold Bennett.
Mrs. Dalloway brought Woolf’s internalized, stream-of-consciousness writing style to its full realization. The novel’s plot, which centers on a single day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares for a party, may seem deceptively simple. However, Woolf’s exploration of Clarissa’s thoughts, memories, and self-reflections weaves a much more intricate narrative that touches on universal themes of identity, social expectation, and the passage of time.
The Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary
At its core, Mrs. Dalloway is a portrait of an “ordinary” woman. Clarissa Dalloway, the 52-year-old wife of a Tory MP, is neither an extraordinary heroine nor an especially brilliant figure. Yet, as she traverses the streets of London to purchase flowers for her evening gathering, her mind revisits her past, reflecting on missed opportunities, lost love, and alternate paths not taken. These moments, vivid and pressing in her consciousness, present a complex inner life that Woolf captures with remarkable clarity.
Meanwhile, another character, Septimus Warren Smith, a soldier suffering from shell shock after World War I, embarks on his own journey through London. His disjointed perceptions and the overwhelming weight of his trauma mirror Clarissa’s inner turmoil, serving as a dark, tragic counterpoint to her own reflections. Woolf herself had experienced similar episodes of mental anguish, and these painful emotions are conveyed with intensity throughout the novel, despite its otherwise idyllic setting.
A Novel for the Ages
Professor Clare Hutton of Loughborough University teaches Mrs. Dalloway to new students each year, many of whom arrive with preconceived notions of Woolf as an elitist or even anti-Semitic figure, due to her personal letters and diaries. Yet, as Hutton notes, these students are often surprised by the novel’s raw portrayal of vulnerability. “Clarissa Dalloway’s vulnerability is explored so exactly,” Hutton says, noting how the ordinary events of the day reveal a hidden fragility in Clarissa’s mind.
Though Mrs. Dalloway was first published a century ago, its exploration of mental health and self-perception resonates deeply with modern audiences. “We live in an age of mental health crisis,” Hutton observes, “and so readers see this book and think it might not speak to them, but it does.”
The novel’s fluid prose and stream-of-consciousness style invite endless re-readings. With each return to the text, new nuances emerge, and previous scenes seem to shimmer with fresh meaning. Charlotte Knight describes the novel as “extraordinarily ambitious and original,” noting that Woolf’s ability to capture the intricacies of the human mind continues to captivate readers and writers alike.
From Woolf to Cunningham and Beyond
The influence of Mrs. Dalloway extends far beyond Woolf’s lifetime. Michael Cunningham’s The Hours, which directly engages with Woolf’s work, further cemented Mrs. Dalloway’s enduring impact. The novel mirrors Woolf’s exploration of dissatisfaction, mortality, and madness through the lives of three women across different time periods, drawing a direct line from the novel’s treatment of shell shock in the aftermath of World War I to the AIDS crisis of the late 20th century.
But Cunningham’s work is just one example. Contemporary authors like Ian McEwan and Zadie Smith have borrowed the day-in-the-life structure and the intricate exploration of memory and identity found in Mrs. Dalloway. McEwan’s Saturday (2005) and Smith’s NW (2012) each feature characters navigating London’s streets, where moments of personal reflection shape their understanding of the world.
A Modern Echo in Assembly
More recently, Natasha Brown’s debut novel Assembly (2021) has been hailed as a “modern Mrs. Dalloway” for its examination of the interior life of its protagonist, a young Black woman grappling with feelings of alienation as she prepares for a garden party at her white boyfriend’s family estate. The novel’s prose shares the fluidity and emotional resonance of Woolf’s work, making it a clear successor to Mrs. Dalloway’s legacy.
The Enduring Power of Mrs. Dalloway
Despite the focus on Woolf’s personal struggles, including her mental health challenges and eventual suicide in 1941, it is crucial not to define Mrs. Dalloway solely through the lens of tragedy. As Knight points out, Woolf’s determination to write during periods of good health, producing such a groundbreaking and innovative work, is nothing short of defiant. Mrs. Dalloway, while certainly a novel shadowed by death, is imbued with a vitality that continues to resonate with readers a century later.
In the end, Woolf’s depiction of Clarissa Dalloway’s ordinary yet extraordinary day reminds us that even in the most fleeting moments, there is meaning and beauty. As Woolf writes, “somehow in the streets of London, on the ebb and flow of things, here, there, she survived”—a sentiment that ensures Mrs. Dalloway will continue to fascinate and inspire for generations to come.
