Sunday, March 18, 2012
Mrs. Dalloway- last part- Chelsea Estes
While reading the remaining pages of Mrs. Dalloway, I can admit that I am not surprised by the fact that Septimus ended up committing suicide. However, I cannot help but think that after class last week and reflecting upon the fact that Septimus is Clarissa's alter ego, if she indeed wish to commit suicide as well. With the party going on, and after reading how excited she was to host this lavish party, Clarissa seems anything but happy with the results. Her thoughts of the party not being good enough, not wanting to socialize with everyone, and puts on an act to cover up her unhappiness, mirrors Septimus, because he also was trying to cover up his unhappy life. I feel as if Septimus's suicide was an act of trying to communicate with those that did not listen to him. Clarissa and Septimus both has thoughts of taking their own lives, which further explains their connection as kindled spirits. What are your thoughts on the death of Septimus? Were you surprised?
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I think you bring up a lot of really good points on their similarities and why they are alter-egos of one another. I think what sets them apart, and why Clarissa is not the one to commit suicide, is that she likes life. On page 121 Woolf writes, in reference to her parties, "What she liked was simply life." She ultimately likes being a part of life, the presence of life. While Septimus' goal is to get away, and in the end the only way he can do so is to kill himself, Clarissa still wants to be a part of life because it is what she likes.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Septimus was trying to communicate to those who would not listen. He felt so confined in the things of the world and people around him kept telling him how he should live his life and was convinced he was crazy instead of listening to his true thoughts and feelings. I feel that Septimus represents a lot of individual's living in this era. I also feel that both Clarissa and Septimus might represent Virginia Woolfe especially after I found out she too committed suicide.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to see Septimus commit suicide simply because I had higher expectation from him but someone had brought up another blog which they thought someone was going to commit suicide similar to how Edna did in The Awakening. I did also get the idea which Clarissa was shown as being happy But I did not see as to why he had done that to himself and you have brought up some very clear points which as why he may have done it.
ReplyDeleteI really liked what you had to so say about Septimus and Clarissa being each others alter egos. I myself was not really surprised by the suicide of Septimus, I felt like it had been coming for awhile considering he had wanted to do it earlier on. I can see how people would think Clarissa might or want to commit suicide and could see how that could have been an ending to the book but like Maggie said, she liked life, that is why she had parties, they were an offering. I don't know what I think about Clarissa's feelings about life and her wanting to take her life or not, I keep going back and forth wondering if she feels like Septimus or not.
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up a great point. I touched on this a little in my post. I think that Clarissa and Septimus are each others alter egos. I think that Clarissa reflection on Septimus's death helped me to make this distinction a little more clear. When Clarissa was reflecting on Septimus death she was thinking about the other possibilities of her life as well as what it is like to die. I think the Clarissa feels pity for Septimus but knows that she would have done the same thing if she would have chosen another life.
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