Mrs. Dalloway pg. 136-End

Ally

Santo

Alicia 

Septimus’ Suicide (146)

1.      He did not want to die. Life was good. The sun hot. Only human beings= what did they want? Coming down the staircase opposite an old man stopped and stared at him. Holmes was at the door. “I”ll give it to you!” he cried, and flung himself vigorously violently down to Mrs. Filmer’s area railings”

        “The coward” cried Dr. Holmes

1. Why was suicide the only option for Septimus?
2. What is the symbolic purpose of Septimus’ suicide?
3.  Who is he talking to and or about/What is he saying when he says, “I’ll give it to you!”
4.  Why does Dr. Holmes call him a coward?

Peter Walsh

1. Compare and contrast Peter and Septimus’ view of English society? (147-148)
1.  Septimus is always talking about Shakespeare and commits suicide to escape humanity, however Peter promotes this idea of humanity
2.  Conflicting emotions about Clarissa
1. “Looking back over that long friendship of almost thirty years her theory worked to his extent. Brief, broken, often painful as their actual meetings had been what with his absences and interruptions (this morning, for instance, in came Elizabeth, like a long legged colt, handsome, dumb, just as he was beginning to talk to Clarissa) the effect of them on his life was immeasurable”  (149)
1. How does Wolfe’s present to us the effects of Clarissa on Peter? What symbolic meaning does her being represented as a colt hold to us?

Clarissa’s Party

1. Clarissa is conflicted about how her party is going and herself position in society
1. What helps reassure her that her party is a success?
2. How does she react to Septimus’ suicide?

Ending of Book

1. “I will come,” said Peter, but he sat on for a moment. What is this terror? What is this ecstasy? He thought to himself. What is it that fills me with extraordinary excitement?

It is Clarissa, he said.

For there she was.