On the Road with Penguin Classics Mrs Dalloway with Alexandra Harris
Feb 11, 2021
In this engaging discussion, biographer Alexandra Harris, an expert on Virginia Woolf, and Edgar Jones, a professor on the psychology of war, navigate the streets of Westminster while delving into 'Mrs Dalloway.' They explore Woolf's complex narrative, the interplay of time, memory, and emotional depth, as well as the societal perceptions of mental health in the 1920s. The conversation highlights significant themes of freedom, confinement, and the importance of human connection in a rapidly changing post-war London.
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Memory 'Caves' Behind Characters
- Woolf's "caves" metaphor describes memory layers she excavates behind characters.
- These subterranean memories surface to the present, shaping time and emotion.
Single-Day Novel, Bold Form
- Woolf compresses a novel's life into one day to explore time and memory.
- The single-day frame lets interior memories expand and contract around moments.
Characters Are Mutually Constructed
- Woolf treats character as fluid and mutually constructed rather than fixed.
- Clarissa and Septimus are distinct but linked by shared empathy and cultural ties.