In the novel Mrs. Dalloway, Virgina Woolf presents the character of Clarissa Dalloway, the society wife of a Parliament member. The narrative is essentially the story of day in Clarissa's life as she prepares for a party that she and her husband are hosting. The complexity of Woolf's work lies in the fact that while Clarissa outwardly appears to enjoy a privileged and contented existence, she experiences many internal conflicts that hint at the depth of her sadness. Clarissa, in fact, displays a contradictory nature, as she can be incredibly sensitive and sentimental one moment and terribly shallow and cold the next. In sketching such a character, Woolf delivers a biting commentary on early twentieth century London society, but she is also able to illustrate that there is a sense of nobility in Clarissa's situation. Indeed, Clarissa's ability to surrender to the life that she has chosen demonstrates her attempt to resolve the two aspects of her self.
Outwardly, Clarissa appears quite poised and often superficial. She plays the role of proper society wife perfectly as she prepares for the party. Indeed, she is so skilled at planning and hosting such social functions that "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself" (Woolf 3). This is the novel's opening line, and thus the reader is immediately introduced to the aspect of Clarissa's personality that places significance on society parties and what others think of her. It is this part of Clarissa that led her to marry Richard Dalloway, a respected member of upper-class London society, instead of staying true to the love that she shared with Peter Walsh and Sally Seton, two old friends who shared passionate relationships with her (Apter 96).
It is Clarissa's relationship with Richard that best illustrates the internal conflicts that she battles. Woolf explains that Clarissa's decision to marry Richard was rooted in the fact that he could offer a stable a...