Birds of Paradise

"Gently the yellow cutain with all the birdsof Paradise blew out and it seemed as f there were a flight of wings into the room, right out, them sucked back. (For the windows were open.)" (168)

The curtain is being compared to birds of Paradise because they represent feelings and emotions being shared. The window is open which symbolizes communication that the party brings to the guests. Birds of Paradise are a species of bird and of a flower. The bird and flower both have vibrant colors and excessive form.

~Ramel, Gordon. "The Birds of Paradise-Paradisaeidae" Earth Life. May 29, 2008. September 29, 2008.
~Off, Audrey "Birds of Paradise" AMO GAllery. September 29, 2008

Religion? Love?

"here was one room; there another. Did religion solve that or love?" (127)

Clarissa sees the old woman through her window, and feels that she knows a little bit about the women even though she does not actually know her. Windows allow Clarissa to break the barrier of communication. They are both living in their separate rooms, which symbolize humanity's solitude and absence of communication. Miss. Kilman turns to religion in her solitude and anger. She believes God can look into her soul and accompany her. Clarissa, being an atheist, disagrees with Miss. Kilman. Peter always looks for love to rid him of his solitude. He thinks that by loving a woman, his walls will crumble and there will be complete communication between him and his love. Clarissa believes that there will always be walls hindering complete communication between two people especially as they age.

Crocus Flower

"Then for that moment she had seen an illumination; a match burning in a crocus; an inner meanig almost expressed." (32)

The growth of the crocus petals are sensitive to heat. On warm days the flower opens up, due to the cells of the inside of the flower growing faster than the cells on the outside petals. When the air is cold the outer surface of the petal's grow faster than the cells on the innersurface, so the flower closes up. The match in the crocus flower keeps the flower warm so it stays open. The fire symbolizes the passion Clarissa had for Sally. When Clarissa was around Sally she was an open flower and felt as if she were at the peak of her life. The match for Richard is not ignited and does not keep her open and alive. She is closed off from Richard because they do not have a strong sense of communication.

~Hangarter, Roger."Crocus Flower" Plants in Motion. 2000. September 29, 2008.

Baron Marbot's Memoirs

"Narrower and narrower would her bed be. The candle was half burnt down and she had read deep in Baron Marbot's Memoirs. She had read late at night of the retreat from Moscow." (31)

Clarissa reads Memoires du general baron de Marbot before she goes to bed alone. In the book Napoleon is retreating from Moscow with his Grand Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was once invincible and France had been at the height of it's power, but that all changed when Napoleon could not capture Russia's capital. Napoleon retreats along desolate roads in shame. This story is relevant to Mrs. Dalloway because the First World War ended and England is not the almighty power it once was. Napoleon parallels with Clarissa because in a way she is retreating from Richard because she does not feel passionate for him. She thinks about how she failed Richard, just like Napoleon failed France.

~"Baron Marbot" Mrs. Dalloway Tips. March 28 2000. September 29, 2008.
~Macgregor,Mary. "The Retreat From Moscow" Heritage History. 2007. September 29,2008.

Aunt Helena

"like those flowers Clarissa's Aunt Helena used to press between sheets of grey blotting-paper with Litttre's dictionary on top"

Aunt Helena symbolised the dying age. She lost sight in one of her eyes and has a glass eye. She does not see the beauty and depth that life has. She pressed flowers, ridding them of their bright color and water.

Soul

"Coming down the staircase opposite an old man stopped and stared at him. Holmes was at the door. 'I'll give it to you!' he cried, and flung himself vigorously, violently down" (149)

Septimus committed suicide so he would not have to give away his soul to Holmes and Bradshaw. He felt he was in touch with reality and did not want the doctors to brainwash him. An enduring theme in Mrs. Dalloway is of communication. People want to communicate but are kept in their rooms of solitude. Septimus jumping out the window is a metaphor for releasing himself from the restraints of the room and communicating through the window.

Roses

"not for years had they spoken of it; which, he thought, grasping his red and white roses together (a vast bunch in tissue paper), is the greatest mistake in the world." (115)

Richard decides to buys Clarissa roses out of all the varieties of flowers. Throughout the book many rare flowers are mentioned that symbolise life's vibrant and beauty. Richard's intentions were good, but he lacks depth. he is unnatural around the flowers, unlike Clarrisa who is constantly surrounded by them and can make connections to nature. He does not perceive the world as Clarissa does and does not read Shakespeare either. He wants to tell her he loves her, but cannot bring himself to tell her when he gets home.