Seeing Double Duality, or the notion that an individual or an object is a double of someone or something else, can be found in Virginia Woolf’s novel, Mrs. Dalloway. Through this novel, Woolf demonstrates the concept of duality through the characters of Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Smith. Critic Benjamin D. Hagen agrees with the belief that Septimus can be seen as Clarissa’s double within the novel. Another critic, Teresa Prudente, argues that Septimus undergoes a transformation, leading him to differ from his double, Clarissa. However, criticism by Jeremy Lawson and Thomas C. Caramagno argue that although Clarissa and Septimus are closely related, the two are independent of each other at the same time. Expanding upon Woolf’s idea that
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Dalloway. Instead, the story was supposed to follow Clarissa Dalloway throughout her day as she prepared for her party that evening, leading up to her death that same day during her party (Caramagno 314). After reconsidering, Woolf introduced Septimus Smith as Clarissa’s “double” and created him as the character who would ultimately take his own life. Clarissa and Septimus do not share a familial bond and never encounter each other during the novel. However, the two appear to be very closely related, maybe even doubles of each other. In his criticism, “Radical Encounter: The Ghost and The Double in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway”, Benjamin D. Hagen argues that Septimus was not written as an actual character, instead he was written as a ghost (13). Hagen also states that he believed that Septimus was a figment of Clarissa’s imagination, where Clarissa was able to create an image of Septimus in order to help alleviate her feelings of sorrow and loneliness as she struggled to fit in with the rest of society (13). Hagen’s most important argument is that Mrs. Dalloway demonstrates how sudden and accidental encounters can evoke thoughts, which can influence an individual’s perception of an event or situation. These thoughts ultimately lead to the creation of solitude and an imaginary presence (Hagen …show more content…
Clarissa was notified of Septimus’ passing simply because the death took place during her party that she had prepared for all day. When she learned of his death, she began to wonder about death herself and what would happen if she were to die shortly. While thinking about death, she states “if it were now to die, ‘twere now to be most happy” (Woolf 184). Septimus committing suicide at Clarissa’s party opened her eyes to death and led to the perception that the end of life “holds the potential to function in consciousness not as negation of time, but rather as a more intense perception of the instant in the present” (Prudente 271-272). Clarissa also felt guilty after hearing about the passing of Septimus, stating “somehow it was her disaster-her disgrace” (Woolf 185). Although she felt guilty, she could not help but wonder about her own death. In her criticism, Teresa Prudente questions whether Septimus’ suicide was written by Virginia Woolf in order to take the attention away from Clarissa, who was originally supposed to lose her life
Dalloway. Instead, the story was supposed to follow Clarissa Dalloway throughout her day as she prepared for her party that evening, leading up to her death that same day during her party (Caramagno 314). After reconsidering, Woolf introduced Septimus Smith as Clarissa’s “double” and created him as the character who would ultimately take his own life. Clarissa and Septimus do not share a familial bond and never encounter each other during the novel. However, the two appear to be very closely related, maybe even doubles of each other. In his criticism, “Radical Encounter: The Ghost and The Double in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway”, Benjamin D. Hagen argues that Septimus was not written as an actual character, instead he was written as a ghost (13). Hagen also states that he believed that Septimus was a figment of Clarissa’s imagination, where Clarissa was able to create an image of Septimus in order to help alleviate her feelings of sorrow and loneliness as she struggled to fit in with the rest of society (13). Hagen’s most important argument is that Mrs. Dalloway demonstrates how sudden and accidental encounters can evoke thoughts, which can influence an individual’s perception of an event or situation. These thoughts ultimately lead to the creation of solitude and an imaginary presence (Hagen …show more content…
Clarissa was notified of Septimus’ passing simply because the death took place during her party that she had prepared for all day. When she learned of his death, she began to wonder about death herself and what would happen if she were to die shortly. While thinking about death, she states “if it were now to die, ‘twere now to be most happy” (Woolf 184). Septimus committing suicide at Clarissa’s party opened her eyes to death and led to the perception that the end of life “holds the potential to function in consciousness not as negation of time, but rather as a more intense perception of the instant in the present” (Prudente 271-272). Clarissa also felt guilty after hearing about the passing of Septimus, stating “somehow it was her disaster-her disgrace” (Woolf 185). Although she felt guilty, she could not help but wonder about her own death. In her criticism, Teresa Prudente questions whether Septimus’ suicide was written by Virginia Woolf in order to take the attention away from Clarissa, who was originally supposed to lose her life