Littleton’s article presents an in depth portrayal of Clarissa Dalloway, he suggests that she
is an artist in her own right as she expresses herself through her parties. He states that ‘if it
is the nature of the artist is to transmute personal experience and feeling into a public
art, Clarissa Dalloway is certainly an artist.’ (Littleton 1995: 36).This quotation opens up the
article, it is an immediate portrayal of Clarissa Dalloway, immediately it is clear to
understand one of the main issues throughout the article.
Littleton’s argument centres on a few main points these being; mind/memory, Clarissa’s
artistry, Clarissa’s relationship with other characters and men in her society. Littleton also
argues the significance of gender within the novel, which provides very strong evidence that
Mrs Dalloway is a feminist text.
Firstly Littleton suggests that, ‘Clarissa’s artistry is the essential key to understanding her
character ,and the deception of the character is the novels key event.’ (Littleton 1995:36)
Here Littleton emphasises how important the party is to understanding Clarissa as a
character. He provides evidence for this stating that, ‘Virginia Woolf was concerned about
the mental world of a woman, who according to patriarchal ideology of the day as well as her
own figure in the world was not imagined to have any artistic feeling at all.
(Littleton1995:36).This evidence from Littleton enlightens the reader to Woolf’s aims when
writing her novel ,as she was a feminist it is clear to see how she may have voiced her
opinions on society through her character ,Clarissa Dalloway. Zwerdling shares the view with
Littleton that, the party is the key event as it is a wake, she states ‘the party at the end of the
novel, for all its brilliance, is a kind of wake. It reveals the form of power without its
substance.’ (Zwerdling 1977:59)
Littleton also suggests that Clarissa’s artistry is essential to understanding the novel,
this is agreeable as this is the best way for her to express her opinions, when everybody is
there for her it is her chance to speak. It is also agreeable as Alex Zwerdling also recognised
the expression Wolf uses in her novels to criticize the social system. Zwerdling states that,
‘Virginia Wolf was a prosaic novelist as well as a poetic one, a satirist a social critic as well
as a visionary and this element in her fiction is no where given more complete expression
than in Mrs. Dalloway.’ (Zwerdling 1977:69)
Littleton elaborates further on his argument of Clarissa challenging social norms through
self expression at her parties. He explains how he has come to this conclusion, stating that
‘She rejects societies common props against the void’. (Littleton 1995:37) Littleton gives
further examples of how Clarissa rejects societies common props. For example. ‘Clarissa
rejects Miss Kilman’s religion’ (Littleton 1995:37) . This would also reveal the, modernist
approach Virginia Woolf took when writing this novel, and how she questioned things in her
society and presented philosophical/social debate. From this Woolf created a heroine who
was portrayed as an intelligent deep thinking woman, which would seem an artistic act.
Littleton’s ideas are reliable and accurate as he has again provided evidence for his ideas, by
giving examples from Mrs Dalloway. His ideas evidence and suggestions are accurate and
worth taking note of due to the thorough explanation and the close reading he carries out
making his points.
As detailed in the introduction, Littleton draws upon gender and how it affects the
novel. Littleton’s main argument is that Clarissa Dalloway is a female artist expressing
herself the best she can in a patriarchal society. The Oxford English Dictionary defines
patriarchal as ‘characteristic of a form of social organization in which the male is the family
head and title is traced through the male line.’(Oxford English Dictionary:1989)
Therefore it is important to recognise how Clarissa overcame the problem of being a female
in a male dominated society ,this contributes to Littleton’s argument to Clarissa Dalloway
being an expressive artist. Littleton speculates that, ‘The parties reflect Clarissa’s need for
control of the physical, and the desire and to express societies values’.(Littleton 1995:44)
Thus Clarissa functions as an artist through her ability to express the truths she realizes in the
world around her. Clarissa’s parties also function as a creative outlet in a male dominated
world. Littleton has again recognised the importance of the understanding that Mrs Dalloway,
is a feminist novel as it centres around a woman who expresses her opinions in an artistic
way, he has given the explanation for this, this being he recognised the gender differences
and how it was difficult for a woman to be expressive in patriarchal society. He has given an
explanation on how Woolf has voiced this, by pointing out that Clarissa Dalloway is
expressing herself in an artistic way, again through her parties.
The next point that is very important throughout Littleton’s article is Clarissa Dalloway’s
relationship with Septimus Warren Smith. Littleton’s analysis of Septimus and Clarissa is
particularly effective, he acknowledges the relationship between them as a whole, but
two parts, he goes on to show how the two characters react to society in different ways.
‘Septimus goes mad while Clarissa hides her differences and remains externally integrated
with society because conformity was a practical necessity for women ,particularly of
Clarissa’s class, imprisoned by centuries of male control of all wealth and almost all means
To wealth, indeed or particularly every aspect of public life. As a man, Septimus could not
avoid subjection to the most extreme dysfunctions of the social order: war and Bradshaw. His
response is similarity extreme. The manifestations of his madness are guided by the tradition
of male poetry.’ (Littleton 1995:51)
From this quotation the reader can understand how Littleton has explained how Clarissa
Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith experience society in different ways, one being safe
of negativity while the other experiences it ,thus suggesting that in what one experiences
positively the other will suffer. Again Littleton has backed his argument up with close
reading of Mrs Dalloway as well as considering other critics opinions and integrated them
into his argument. The evaluation of Clarissa and Septimus is written logically and clearly
with relevant evidence which is a very good basis for a reliable argument.
Another issue that Littleton addresses is Clarissa’s relationship with her husband. It
is important as he is male and this can give crucial evidence that Mrs Dalloway is a feminist
text. For example Littleton states that, ‘the less intense alliance with Richard allows Clarissa
greater space to fill her submerged desires.’ (Littleton 1995:46 ) This could suggest that
Mrs Dalloway is a feminist text as Clarissa is limited to fulfilling her inner desires when he is
around her. In the novel Woolf also states that Richard Dalloway is the one who ‘stifles her
soul.’(Woolf 2000: 75) This statement by Littleton is accurate as in the text Mrs Dalloway,
the reader is constantly enlightened to the struggle of marriage for a woman living in a male
dominated society, for example Clarissa sometimes refers to herself as Mrs Richard Clarissa
Dalloway this could be Woolf arguing that when a woman marries a man she loses her
identity and self-preservation. This could also reflect Woolf’s feminist view on sex and
gender. Littleton also examines the close evidence from the text in great detail. Elaine
Showalterz also notes that ‘Woolf was well aware that as a feminist theory now puts it, the
name of the husband is one of the strongest insignia of patriarchal power. (Woolf 2000:XII)
Littleton concludes his argument; ‘Woolf’s novel attempts to uncover a female intellectual
inheritance not preserved in rigid cultural vessels such as libraries and universities’.(Littleton
1995:53). This assumption by Littleton brings his argument together. He has justified why
Clarissa Dalloway is an artist, which again correlates with the argument that Mrs Dalloway is
a feminist text. It is clear from reading Mrs Dalloway that Littleton’s argument is accurate as
everything he has stated throughout his article is backed up with sufficient evidence. He has
mainly argued that Woolf has created an artist as she is intellectual and expressive.
An advantage of Littleton’s article is that he has referenced other critics opinions which
provides even stronger evidence than just his own opinion. There is also no comparisons to
other characters from other novels, Littleton completely focuses on Clarissa Dalloway giving
any reader a full in depth psycho analysis of Clarissa.This is extremely beneficial as it covers
every aspect of the protagonist, she makes up the whole story therefore it is a vital key to
understanding Mrs Dalloway. Littleton’s argument is clear throughout, Clarrissa is a female
artist expressing herself to her full ability in a male dominated environment. The article is
well supported by the text and his own interpretations. Littleton also enlightens the reader to
how and why Clarissa is an artist and can change the view of others. She is a sophisticated
artistic woman in a male dominated society. The argument strongly suggest that Mrs.
Dalloway is a feminist text due to the constant argument of the woman of the twentieth
century (Clarissa Dalloway) as a ‘real truthful artist, an intellectual and a
sophisticated woman.
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