Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith are both characters in Virginia Woolf’s novel, Clarissa. Clarissa is a wealthy socialite who is married to a politician, while Septimus is a World War I veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Clarissa is largely happy with her life, while Septimus struggles with mental illness and eventually commits suicide.
While Clarissa and Septimus are very different characters, they do have some similarities. Both Clarissa and Septimus are highly introspective and spend a lot of time thinking about their lives. They are also both very sensitive to the feelings of others. Clarissa is known for her kind and compassionate nature, while Septimus is known for his ability to empathize with others.
Clarissa and Septimus also share a deep connection to the city of London. Clarissa was born and raised in London, and it is the place she has always called home. Septimus, on the other hand, was born in the countryside but moved to London after the war. He fell in love with the city and felt a deep connection to it.
In many ways, Clarissa and Septimus represent two different sides of the same coin. Clarissa is a successful woman who has built a life for herself in London, while Septimus is a man who has been deeply traumatized by war and is struggling to cope with his mental illness. While they are very different characters, they both provide insight into the human condition. Clarissa shows us what it is like to be a successful and content woman, while Septimus shows us the dark side of war and its effects on the human mind.
The rural aristocracy that surrounded Mr. Micawber were a few of the most notorious people in Victorian London, but they too may have been raised in similarly wealthy households.
The citizens of this class grow up under similar social institutions, even though classes are drawn up based on wealth; it is conceivable that two persons might hold very similar perceptions of the society that formed them. Virginia Woolf’s depiction of an English society where individuals seem uncannily similar to Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith is significant. These individuals go by the names of Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith.
Clarissa Dalloway is a novel written by Virginia Woolf, and published in 1925. Clarissa is a wealthy woman, who lives in London during post-World War I. Clarissa spends her day preparing for a party she is throwing that night, and reflects on her life. Clarissa is constantly aware of the death and destruction around her, but tries not to let it bother her.
Septimus Warren Smith is a man who was diagnosed with shell shock (now known as posttraumatic stress disorder) during World War I. Septimus is unable to cope with the horrors of the war, and eventually kills himself. Clarissa and Septimus are both affected by their surroundings, but deal with them in different ways. Clarissa tries to ignore the death and destruction around her, while Septimus cannot escape it.
Clarissa and Septimus are both very aware of the effects of war on people, but deal with them in different ways. Clarissa tries to ignore the death and destruction around her, while Septimus cannot escape it. Clarissa is a symbol of resilience in the face of overwhelming tragedy, while Septimus represents the tragedy and devastation that war can cause.
She sees routine and habit all around her, but she seems dissatisfied Clarissa. She was now, “… Mrs. Dalloway; not even Clarissa any inside Mrs. Dalloway’s soul, lies her belief character, the side that she never reveals.” Clarissa believes in reincarnation. That her inner-communicating self may be revealed in the next body if it isn’t expressed here.
Clarissa shows her dedication to life through her concern for others and her ability to find the good in everyone. She also has moments of despair, such as when she thinks about Septimus’s death. Clarissa is able to compartmentalize these negative thoughts and continue living.
Septimus Warren Smith is haunted by his experiences in World War I. He sees death and destruction everywhere he looks. This causes him to feel immense guilt and a sense of hopelessness. Septimus is unable to cope with the atrocities he has seen and it overwhelms him. He takes his own life to escape the pain.
Clarissa and Septimus share many similarities but they differ in their ability to cope with their struggles. Clarissa manages to find a way to live despite her fears and Septimus cannot. Clarissa is able to find happiness in the small moments while Septimus only sees darkness. Clarissa is able to move on while Septimus is stuck in his past.
The second line of the poem reads, “I sent for you once in a while, and always with just one word on my lips: today.” In other words, Clarissa’s happiness is something unmonumental and modest. She may rejoice in throwing a party. Clarissa has friends. Her parties are intended to bring people together who would otherwise never interact.
Clarissa talks about communication: “Tell things you couldn’t say any other way.” She can feel… “n Septimus values the little inanimate objects that surround him. Beauty may be defined as a plane that inscribes in the sky, but which represents beauty.
Clarissa’s life is more about her interactions with people and the world around her, while Septimus’s suicide is brought on by his mental state and hallucinations. Clarissa is able to find some sort of peace in her life, while Septimus cannot find a way to cope with the horrors of World War I. Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith are two very different characters, but they both share one similarity: they are unable to completely escape the trauma of World War I.
Subliminally, Septimus expresses his desire to be nurtured, “.. telling them that they intended to Frankenstein, when he pulls away from society and has problems dealing with reality. It’s easy for us to see how similar Septimus and Clarissa are. Septimus is terrified of the actual world around him, “He began to try opening his eyes in order to see whether a gramophone was real. But true things were far too fascinating. He needed to exercise caution. He would not go insane.
Clarissa too has moments where she must withdraw from society and the reality around her, as seen in her monologue to Clarissa about her suicide plan. Clarissa is fearful of growing old and losing her beauty, “And then I think of the moment when these poor wretches that one sees stuffed into omnibuses, with their noses flattened against the glass, will be at my age” (Woolf 298). In this excerpt Clarissa is worried about losing her attractiveness and being alone in the world. Clarissa and Septimus share this fear of the future.
Both Clarissa and Septimus are haunted by their pasts. Clarissa constantly thinks about her deceased friend Sally Seton, “She might have been Clarissa’s double, Clarissa thought; Clarissa might have been the one who died” (Woolf 9). Clarissa wonders what her life would be like if she had made different choices.
Septimus also thinks about his past, specifically his time spent in the war. He is haunted by the memories of the people he killed, “A ghost passed between him and the tree. It was himself, killed seventeen times over. That was death” (Woolf 252). These memories continuously haunt Septimus and prevent him from living in the present.
Septimus and Clarissa both use their illnesses as a way to escape from reality. For Clarissa, her suicide plan is a way to get away from the pain of living. Septimus also uses his mental illness as a way to escape. He withdraws from society and stops talking to people. He retreats into his own mind as a way to cope with the reality around him.
Clarissa and Septimus are both characters that are struggling to deal with the reality around them. They are both haunted by their pasts and use their illnesses as a way to escape from the present. Clarissa and Septimus share many similarities, but they also have their own unique struggles that make them who they are.
