Plot Outline of Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

• 1. (3) MD buying flowers:
  • memory of opening door, crossing threshold at Burton; Peter Walsh; empire; park;
  • Hugh Whitbread; memory of not marrying Peter;
  • (9) part of the trees; Elizabeth and Mrs. Kilman; Flower shop

• 2. (14)(13) link: violent explosion
  • Septimus, moment of suspension--horror; Lucrezia worried about Sept;
  • motor car; MD; motor car; Buckingham Palace; aeroplane; moment of suspension 11:00.
  • (22)(21)trees coming to life; Septimus, birds speaking Greek; Evans behind railings. Sit in park; (25) Sept scapegoat;
  • Maisie Johnson 19 the horror seeing Sept;
  • Mrs. Dempster--pity for the loss of roses (27), follows aeroplane;
  • Mr. Bentley; seedy man thinking of church

• 3. (29)(28) MD home:
  • Richard lunching wi Millicent Bruton;
  • attic room; virginity; attraction to women (32)(31); match burning in a crocus; Sally Seaton kiss; Peter interrupts; looking in mirror; decides to mend dress;
  • Peter Walsh calls; memory of pain; pocket knife; in love wi a girl in India; weeps; she lost gaiety by not marrying him;
  • Elizabeth interrupts; 11:30 

• 4. (48)(47) link--Big Ben
  • Peter Walsh’s walk: marching boys; statues; following girl; moments of pride in England; Regent’s Park, falls asleep

• 5. (56)(55) grey nurse, visions of the solitary traveler-- mother goddess

• 6. (58)(57) PW in Park:
  • death of the soul, memory of Bourton, Clarissa’s prudery; Richard Dalloway arrives; PW feels conspiracy; perfect happiness; resignation; final terrible scene

• 7. (64)(63) PW; trans to Rezia
  • Septimus talking to Evans who was killed in the war; wedding ring; Septimus trees are alive, no crime, universal love (67)(66); drowned sailor, beauty; 11:45 
  • PW passes by Sept & Rez; PW thinking about changes in society--makeup, water closets; Sally Seaton’s letter; Sally detested Hugh; PW has to ask for a job; thinking of Clarissa making a world of her own; sister Sylvia killed by a tree; atheist religion of doing good ; voice of song

• 8. (82)voice of ancient song trans to Rezia
  • R&S going to Dr, William Bradshaw; Septimus’s history; fall in love wi Miss Isabel Poole; the war; Milan, no feeling; no meaning to life; nervous breakdown, Dr. Holmes; Evans speaks. 12:00

• 9.(92?)  trans: Big Ben and motorcar
  • appointment wi Bradshaw, he recommends rest cure; Proportion; goddess of Conversion-- urge to dominate (100) (100); 1:30    clocks trans to Hugh
  • Hugh and Richard Dalloway at Lady Bruton’s; Millie Brush; talk abt. Peter; Lady B’s obsession wi emigration to Canada; she naps
  • (110) Hugh and Richard window shopping; H looking at necklace; Richard leaves, buys flowers. Walking home.
  • (114) Big Ben trans to Clarissa 3:00 ; Richard arrives; Clarissa on couch--thinking of parties, an offering 
  • (119) Elizabeth comes in; Miss Kilman’s history; rage replaced by calm of religion, but hates Clarissa; Clarissa never tries to convert anyone; love and religion; 
  • (124)3:30; watching old lady at window; great mystery, separate rooms; interrupted by late clock
  • (128)(125) Clocks trans to Miss Kilman: control the flesh; infliction of unlovable body; having tea; Elizabeth leaves; MK to Westminster Cathedral
  • (131) Elizabeth omnibus up Whitehall; thinking about becoming a farmer or Dr.(137)(134) Walks up Strand toward St. Paul; clouds
  • (139)(136) trans grey and yellow: Septimus lying on sofa, watching shadows--fear no more; Rezia’s account of his behaviors; S watching R make hat; R takes child back, S alone; R sewing (146)(140); burn his drawings but not messages; R like a flowering tree, tries to protect S (149)(144); Holmes coming up stairs; S throws himself out windows on to railings. 6:00 Rezia in cornfields

• 10. (151)(157) PW hears sound of ambulance;
  • triumph of civilization; moment when all comes together; memory of Clarissa (153)(148) we exist everywhere, odd affinities, unseen might survive; how memories open up; his hotel; Daisy, his need for women;
  • dinner at the hotel, conversation with the Morriss’s;
  • decides to go to party; (162)(157) prolonged evening; arrives at Clarissa’s

• 11. (165)(161) party preparations;
  • servants pov; women in the cloakroom; going to be a failure, PW critical; Ellie Henderson, invited at last minute; Sally Seaton; the Prime Minister; (175)(168) Sir Harry; Professor Brierly; Miss Helena Parry, orchids of Burma; Lady Bruton; memories of Sally; Bradshaws, learns of Septimus’s death;
  • (179) MD withdraws, thinking of Septimus, reasons for his death; old lady opposite; clock strikes (181)

• 12. (186)(182 ) PW & SS on sofa;

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