Mrs. Dalloway

The inner workings of all the characters in the novel reveal a chronic sense of isolation amongst all the individuals, despite the tribalism that social classes in England suggests. During her planning for the party, Clarissa includes and rejects members of her social network seemingly haphazardly, revealing her true ambivalence towards most of the people she knows. Even when the Prime Minister arrives to her party, she pays very little attention to his arrival, aside from being courteous, treating his role and position similarly to how she treats other guests in less-prominent positions. To make matters more complicated, Peter Walsh and Sally Seton, two of Clarissa’s closest friends from her youth, believe Clarissa to be a snob, or someone who excludes others based on their position in social hierarchies. No matter whether the reader agrees with this evaluation of the protagonist, snobs of all sorts are also in an isolated position that depends on their rejection of other people.

Clarissa herself does not enjoy the party she has so carefully planned, worrying that the event is a failure despite the large number of guests who attend. She is lost in her thoughts for much of the time the reader spends accompanying her throughout her social machinations, which suggests that other characters are doing the same. As parties are opportunities for individuals to socialize and to escape the self-focus of their own imaginings, there is an irony present in Clarissa’s inability to allow herself to feel distracted by her guests.

In the character of Septimus Warren Smith, the author explores her own experiences with despair and impaired mental health and its impact on loneliness. Septimus is isolated in his suffering, despite the best efforts of his wife, Rezia, to support him. His suffering in turn causes Rezia to feel isolated herself, as she is incapable of truly understanding how he feels and why. As well, Septimus represents the plight of the working class, who live in close quarters yet experience small comfort from the situation. The smallness of Septimus and Rezia’s flat emphasizes what little flexibility they have within their social positions, though Septimus is able to earn enough money to pay for medical treatment on Harley Street, the road in London where private medical specialists set up offices and run their expensive practices.