Author Archives: hgillespie1

Mrs. Dalloway Part 1- Theme

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Hayley Gillespie

For the first half of the Virginia Woolf novel Mrs. Dalloway, I noticed a major theme of class in the text. Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa, is married to her wealthy, politician husband in a large home. They are socialites with extravagant parties and a staff to help them with their house. Clarissa even comes from a wealthy home from what I could tell in the reading. A former lover of Clarissa, Peter Walsh, comes in and out of the story so far either in person or in the thoughts of Mrs. Dalloway. He seems to believe that even though he travels and lives an interesting life, that because of social Clarissa’s life is she is more wealthy. Septimus and Lucrezia are also portrayed as a lower class to the Dalloways by their actions specifically. When the fancy car pulls into vision, instead of curiosity or relating as Clarissa seemed to feel, Septimus was beginning a mental break and Lucrezia was frightened. This could be her embarrassment for the attention of being different, not only because of her husband’s mental state, but also her class distinction. 

Quotes- Criticism Articles

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Hayley Gillespie

Both of the articles we read commented on sexuality and innocence in The Turn of the Screw. In Combining Perspectives, Sheila Teahan highlights anxities that come along with sexual desires. She refers specifically to the governess’s attraction to her employer and the fear she projects into Quint. She states, “The governess thus disavows her attraction toward the uncle by conjuring a figure who is both repulsive and beneath her in class terms,” (355). Stanley Renner also discusses sexual fear in A Psychoanalytic Perspective. He also relates the governess’s fear of Quint to be her pushing away from her sexual urges. Renner explains, “…the transformation is brought about by fear– specifically fear of male sexuality– is the clear implication of the terms in which the governess explains the ‘shock’ to her sensibility caused by the figure that ultimately met her eyes…” (273). As a parson’s daughter, the governess is sheltered, and now that she has urgues she triggers fear into herself that causes her to project it as something she is fearful of. 

 

The Turn of the Screw- Questions

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Hayley Gillespie

The Turn of the Screw is written in a first-person point of view of the narrator, the governess. With the story being written this way, the reader only receives the governess’ side of the story. The narrator is filled with paranoia through the novel and makes several claims. No other characters staying at Bly admit to seeing Miss Jessel or Peter Quint through out the story and the governess is convinced that the children are lying about it. Maybe the governess saw a picture of Quint at some point and that is why she was able to describe him to Mrs. Grose. She also is convinced the female ghost is Miss Jessel without any description to Mrs. Grose for conformation. Could the governess’ paranoia be just a sign of insanity? Are the apparitions of these people from the past figments of her imagination?