Mrs. Dalloway Study Guide #2 Answer any four of the following questions.
Contains spoilers!!
What does the novel imply are some of the reasons
behind Septimus' suicide? Who or what contributes to his
despair? How so?
Why do you think that Woolf, in writing about
Septimus' struggles, pays so much attention to Drs.
Holmes and Bradshaw? Why are these 2 minor characters
important? How do they contribute to the development of
the novel's themes?
How does Peter Walsh's assessment of Clarissa
Dalloway change by the end of the novel? What seem to be
the reasons behind this change?
How does Clarissa react to the news of Septimus'
death? How, if we probe below the surface, are we to
"read" her response? Is she simply being callous, or is
it more complicated than that? How does her response
speak to the larger themes of the novel?
How have your impressions of Clarissa changed since
the beginning of the novel and why have they changed?
What does Clarissa hope to achieve or accomplish in
throwing this party? Is she successful? Why or why not?
