Dickens, Woolf, Orwell, Beckett, Hemingway, Fitzgerald

VIRGINIA WOOLF

-​ Life

Virginia Woolf's approach to art was certainly influenced by her childhood and her family background.

She was the daughter of the Victorian literary critic Leslie Stephen and grew up in a large and talented

family, educating herself in her father's library and meeting many eminent Victorians. Her youth was

shadowed by suffering: her half-brother's abuses and her mother's death in 1895 precipitated her in a

series of mental breakdowns. After her father's death in 1904, she moved to Bloomsbury, a new area

of London, where she founded a circle of intellectuals who would later become known as "the

Bloomsbury Group". Among them there was Leonard Woolf, who became her husband in 1912. The

Bloomsbury group shared common values which emphasized the importance of aesthetic enjoyment,

subjectivity and sexual freedom. Virginia Woolf herself was bisexual and lived an intense romantic

relationship with the poet Vita Sackville West, who inspired her novel Orlando (1928). Virginia Woolf

was lively and witty, a fine novelist and a prolific reviewer and essayist whose opinions were

appreciated and feared because she was direct and uncompromising. Unfortunately, all through her

life she suffered from severe depression. In March 1941 she stuffed some rocks in her pockets and

drowned herself in the river Ouse, an act influenced by her terror of the war and by the fear of

becoming a burden on her husband, who had supported her both emotionally and intellectually by

founding Hogarth Press. As a writer, Virginia Woolf rebelled against the narrative conventions of the

time. She rejected the assumption that the main aim of a novel is that of telling a story and focused on

the impressions that events made on her characters. She gradually abandoned linear narratives in

favor of interior monologues and stream of consciousness. Her novels shift forwards and backwards

in time according to what her characters remember or experience. These technical experiments were

perfected in her later works, Jacob's Room (1922), Mrs Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927)

and The Waves (1931). Over the course of her career, Woolf also wrote several essays on the subject

of the condition of women. In "A Room of One's Own" (1929), for example, she analyzed the reasons

why women were unable to develop a literature of their own, focusing on their lack of education and

wealth.

Mrs Dalloway (Woolf - 1925)

-​ Plot

The story is set in London, on a single day in June 1923. The main character, Clarissa Dalloway, is a

wealthy woman who spends the day preparing for her evening party. She recalls her life before World

War I and before her marriage to Richard Dalloway, when she was still a young girl in love with her

friend, Peter Walsh. Another important character, Septimus Smith, is a shell-shocked veteran who

spends the day with his wife in Regent's Park before his appointment with Sir William Bradshaw, a

celebrated psychiatrist. Septimus lives in his internal world, he hallucinates and has lost his will to live.

The climax is Clarissa's party: all the people Clarissa thought about during the day gather there. It is

during the party that Dr Bradshaw, one of the guests, speaks about Septimus's suicide.

-​ Focus on Clarissa Dalloway

Clarissa Dalloway is married to a conservative politician but she is still troubled by her rejection of

Peter Walsh. Clarissa often reflects on the past but she also enjoys the small pleasures and

connections of daily life. She has a talent for bringing people together but, despite her love of

socialising and throwing parties, she is preoccupied with death and the potential risks of living.

Although she is intelligent and used to be radical in her views, she has become more conventional in

her middle age and is sometimes perceived as superficial.

-​ Main themes

Time: Virginia Woolf emphasizes time in "Mrs. Dalloway," originally titled "The Hours." The novel

unfolds over a single day, with Big Ben's chimes marking time's passage, symbolizing both objective

chronological time and subjective inner time through characters' memories and reflections. Clarissa,

Peter, Richard, and Sally are shaped by their shared past at Bourton, despite limited present

interactions. Septimus is haunted by memories of his deceased friend Evans, illustrating how past

traumas affect the present. Woolf's depiction of time shows its fluidity, intertwining linear progression

with cyclical memories and actions.

Social Criticism: Woolf critiques English society and post-War conservatism in "Mrs. Dalloway." The

narrative highlights the disconnect between the upper class's adherence to old traditions and the

profound impact of World War I. Characters like Septimus, suffering from PTSD, are overlooked by

society, portraying a community that maintains appearances while ignoring underlying issues. The

chiming clocks and Big Ben symbolize the relentless passage of time, underscoring the characters'

struggles with their personal histories in a rapidly changing world.

In "Mrs. Dalloway," Woolf intertwines themes of time and social criticism to depict a society grappling

with its past, present, and uncertain future. Her narrative techniques and insights into human

experience resonate with readers navigating their own complexities of time and societal expectations.

-​ Woolf’s Writing

Mrs Dalloway is famous for the "stream of consciousness" style, which presents a character's

thoughts and experiences in a third-person voice. This style results in a blending of the character's

voice and the narrator's voice, and the narrative shifts between different characters, sometimes

without the reader noticing the change in focus. The absence of traditional chapters further

emphasizes Woolf's interest in the transitory nature of the present.

-​ Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers (text from Mrs Dalloway)

The passage describes Mrs. Dalloway's intention to buy flowers herself, despite her maid Lucy having

her hands full with other tasks. Mrs. Dalloway reflects on the morning with a sense of freshness akin

to that experienced by children at the beach. She recalls the feeling of opening the French windows at

Bourton and being enveloped by the crisp morning air. The imagery of the air being as fresh as a

wave and as chilly and sharp as a kiss evokes a sense of tranquility. However, there's an undercurrent

of solemnity as she remembers a past encounter with Peter Walsh, hinting at an impending change or

disruption. Mrs. Dalloway's musings are interrupted by the passing of Durtnall's van, and she is

described as a charming woman by Scrope Purvis, despite her age and recent illness. She exudes a

sense of elegance and poise, even amidst the bustling traffic of Westminster. The passage concludes

with Mrs. Dalloway's contemplation of the bustling city life and her profound love for London,

encapsulated in the moment of June and the vibrant energy of the city.

GEORGE ORWELL

-​ Early Life and Career Beginnings

George Orwell, whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair, was born in 1903 in India where his father

worked for the British Empire's administration. After moving to England, Orwell attended Eton College.

Post-Eton, financial constraints led him to join the Indian Imperial Police in Burma in 1922.

Disillusioned by his role in the oppressive colonial regime, he resigned in 1927 and returned to

England. To understand and document the lives of the poor, Orwell lived among the impoverished in

London and Paris, which culminated in his first book, “Down and Out in Paris and London“ (1933).

-​ Influences on Writing and Key Works

Orwell's experiences as a colonial officer in Burma and his time with the underprivileged in Europe

deeply influenced his writing, driving him to expose political, economic, and physical oppression. His

notable works include “Burmese Days” (1934), “The Road to Wigan Pier“ (1937), and “Homage to

Catalonia“ (1938), which chronicle his anti-colonial sentiments, experiences in the Spanish Civil War,

and observations of working-class struggles. In the Spanish Civil War, Orwell fought for the

Republicans, which intensified his disdain for totalitarian regimes after witnessing communist factions

suppress their political rivals.

-​ Legacy and Major Works

This aversion to totalitarianism profoundly shaped his most famous works, “Animal Farm” (1945) and

“Nineteen Eighty-Four” (1949). “Animal Farm“ is a political allegory criticizing Soviet Communism,

depicted through a farmyard revolt led by pigs. “Nineteen Eighty-Four“ portrays a dystopian future

dominated by an oppressive regime that controls all aspects of life, symbolizing the ultimate dangers

of totalitarianism. Orwell also worked briefly for the BBC and was the literary editor of “The Tribune“.

He continued to write essays and journalistic pieces that reflected his strong moral sense and interest

in social and political issues, believing that writing should expose lies and draw attention to critical

facts. He died of tuberculosis on January 21, 1950, in London. Orwell’s legacy remains a powerful

voice against totalitarianism, illustrating the perils of unchecked power and the importance of

individual freedom through his literature.

Nineteen Eight-Four (Orwell - 1949)

Orwell wrote *Nineteen Eighty-Four* to warn the world against what he feared would be the fate of

humanity if totalitarian regimes were allowed to seize power. The novel is set in a future world

dominated by three totalitarian states: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. The protagonist, Winston

Smith, lives in London and works for the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to rewrite history to align

with the Party's propaganda. He secretly rebels against the Party by engaging in a forbidden

relationship and keeping a private diary. Ultimately, Winston and his lover, Julia, are arrested, tortured,

and brainwashed into submission.

-​ Psychological and Reality Control

In *Nineteen Eighty-Four*, the Party controls people using surveillance, terror, and propaganda.

Omnipresent telescreens monitor citizens constantly, spreading propaganda and spying on them.

Family structures are undermined as children are encouraged to spy on their parents. The Party also

controls reality by rewriting history, as Winston's job illustrates, erasing evidence that contradicts its

narrative. Orwell also created Newspeak, a language designed to limit free thought by reducing the

range of expressible ideas. Words like "bad" are replaced with less severe alternatives like "ungood,"

illustrating how language manipulation can control thought. Doublethink, the ability to hold two

contradictory beliefs simultaneously, enables the Party to maintain power by erasing the past and

creating a compliant populace.

-​ Themes of Power and Domination

The novel explores the role of power and domination in a totalitarian society, reflecting t