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Unit 29: Virginia Woolf — Mrs. Dalloway: Detailed Study of Text

symbolized by the plane’s skywriting. In his sickness, Septimus believes the plane is talking Notes
to him. Yet, the other characters who view the plane believe in much the same idea.

Part I Section Three Summary

Clarissa returned home, wondering at what everyone was looking. Stepping into her cool
house and hearing the motion of her servants, she felt as a nun returning to her daily habit.
She breathed in happily while Lucy stood by, hesitant. Clarissa noticed a note that read that
Lady Bruton had requested Richard’s company for lunch. Clarissa felt snubbed. Lucy knowingly
helped her with her parasol and left her alone. The lunch parties were supposed to be quite
amusing. Clarissa felt alone. She withdrew upstairs to the solitary attic room that she had
occupied ever since her illness. There, she liked to read Baron Marbot’s Memoirs. The room
had a very virginal feel, with the stark white sheet stretched tightly across the narrow bed. She
wondered if she had failed Richard and thought back to her close connections with women,
namely her old best friend, Sally Seton. She had known what men feel toward women with
Sally.

She remembered Sally sitting on the floor, smoking, saying she was descended from Marie
Antoinette, being so utterly crude that Clarissa’s family thought her untidy. Sally taught
Clarissa about life, sex, men, and politics, things from which she was shielded at Bourton, her
home before marriage. Her feelings for Sally were protective and pure. She remembered the
excitement she felt the nights Sally dined with them and the exquisite moment they shared
when, as they were walking, Sally stopped to pick a flower and kissed Clarissa on the lips.
A moment later, Peter Walsh and Joseph, an old family friend, had intruded, perhaps purposely,
since Peter was prone to jealousy. Clarissa was horrified at the intrusion.
Turning her thoughts to Peter, she wondered if he would think her older when he returned
from India. Since her sickness, she had become nearly white. She thought her face pointed and
her body shaped like a diamond. She was a good woman, she thought, even if Lady Bruton
had not invited her. Clarissa found her loveliest green dress and took it downstairs to mend.
Lucy asked if she could help mend but Clarissa declined. Suddenly, the doorbell rang and she
heard the voice of a man demanding to see her. Abruptly, her door opened and she turned
to hide her dress, as if she were protecting her chastity.

Peter Walsh entered, taking her hands and kissing them. They both trembled. Peter noticed
that she looked older. Clarissa observed that Peter was very much the same. He played with
his pocketknife. Peter asked about her family and imagined that Clarissa had been mending
her dress and attending parties continuously during the time he had been gone. Clarissa asked
him if he remembered Bourton. He did but it pained him to remember as it reminded him of
her refusal to marry him. Clarissa too was caught in the wave of emotion. The memories
brought Peter close to tears. Peter realized that his new love, Daisy, would pale next to
Clarissa. He did not want to tell her about Daisy because Clarissa would think him a failure.
He felt that Clarissa had changed for the worse ever since marrying Richard.
Clarissa asked about his life. There was too much to tell her, but he mentioned that he was
in love with a girl in India who was still married to a Major in the Indian Army. He had come
to London to see about a divorce. Peter’s life had been such a folly, thought Clarissa. Still, she
was happy for him. Peter suddenly began to weep. Clarissa comforted him, kissing him, and
stroking his hands before she retained control and sat back. She felt very much at ease with
Peter now and realized this gaiety would be hers always if she had married him. She wished
he would take her with him. The next moment, her passions subsided. Clarissa joined Peter
by the window. He seized her by the shoulders and asked if she were happy with Richard.

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