The Wasteland and allusion

In The Burial of the Dead, lines 31 - 35 are another language. After researching these lines, I discovered they were German. In fact, these lines come from the famous German Opera Tristian und Isolde. The lines loosely translate to "Fresh wind blows / to the home. / My Irish child, / where are you now?"  In the opera, these lines are part of the first lines from a young sailor to Isolde. When translated into English, these lines give off a sort of taunting impression. This allusion affects the rest of the poem by giving the reader the impression that nothing is forever and anything can be taken away, similar to how Isolde is being taken away from her home. These lines add to the gloomy tone running through this section of the poem.

Metaphor and symbol

Metaphor: "... staring at him with her rabbit's eyes."

Tenor- Miss Ivor's personality and appearance

Vehicle- eyes of a rabbit

The author equates Miss Ivor's eyes to the eyes of a rabbit. This metaphor builds a better image of both her physical appearance and her social behavior. If one ever looks at three of a rabbit, he or she would notice it is small, black, and beady. This gives Miss Ivor's a sort of nosey and judgemental demeanor. 

Symbol: Ireland

Tenor- powerful memories

Vehicle- Ireland 

Throughout the short story, Ireland portrays both literal and figurative meaning. Physically, it is the homeland for Gabriel and many other characters. However, figuratively, the country represents either positive or negative memories depending on the character. For Gabriel, it proves a negative reaction; whereas in his wife, Ireland provokes a positive emotion. It has this effect on her because it revives a lost lover  from her childhood. The symbol causes friction between the two characters, and  becomes increasingly when Gabriel accuses her of only wanting to return to Ireland because it reminds her of her earlier love. 

Septimus Smith

In Mrs. Dalloway, Septimus Smith suffers from a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As a veteran of World War One, Septimus is haunted by countless, gruesome memories of trench warfare. What haunts him most though is the death of his friend, Evans. When he dies, Septimus fears there is something is wrong with himself because he feels very little emotionally. This hints towards his later psychological problems. When Septimus returns to England after the war, with his new wife Rezia, his PTSD becomes increasingly apparent. From the first scenes of the book when a car backfires to his death, his PTSD hardly leaves him. Rezia Thinks it is best for him to see a doctor once Septimus begins to talk about killing himself. Septimus sees two doctors. The first is Dr. Holmes, who believes Septimus is fine and only needs to sleep and adjust his diet. The second is Sir Williams. His conclusion is entirely different from Dr. Holmes. Sir Williams believes Septimus is "out of proportion" and Should relocate to one of his homes out in the country for treatment. It is interesting how Sir Williams uses the term "out of proportion". He does this as a way of convincing his patients he has some power in curing them, when he really does not. Septimus' PTSD is a large part of the story and who Septimus is.

Ms. Kilman

Ms. Kilman is an interesting character in Mrs. Dalloway. While she is a minor character, she  represents a hoard of different ideas. The primary thing she exemplifies is the repressed German during and after the war. Before working as a tutor for Elizabeth, she worked as a school teacher. Once the war broke out and quickly reached the stalemate of trench warfare, Ms. Kilman was fired because of her German heritage. She feels she is being cheated of a life she deserves because of this. Ms. Kilman portrays the oppression that  Anglo-Germans faced in England suffered through during this time period simply because of their distant relation to the enemy. Another idea she exemplifies is the separation  between the upper class and the rest of British society. Although Ms. Kilman never says anything directly to Mrs. Dalloway of a negative calibre, Ms. Kilman's tone suggests a deep hatred for Mrs. Dalloway's grandiose lifestyle. This sort of adversity portrayed in this section of the book shows some of the tension between the social classes in England during this time period. Also as a religious woman, she could see Clarissa's secular life as unnecessary and selfish. While Ms Kilman is not a crucial character to the story's plot, Woolf uses her as a way to better show the influence of the setting. 

Word

Emigration 

Question

Why was Shakespeare talked about so much around pg. 70?

Peter Walsh

In Mrs. Dalloway, Peter Walsh is a major character who plays a major role in both the development of the study and Clarissa. Peter has know Clarissa most, if not all, of his life. Ever since their early days at Bourton, he has had feelings for her, extreme feelings for her. He believes the happiest moment in his life was the day Clarissa asked him to join her on her boat. Later that summer, he asks Clarissa for her hand in marriage. She broke his heart into countless pieces by rejecting him. Dejected, he leaves Bourton immediately and doesn't see Clarissa until the day of her party. He is back in London to talk to lawyers to finalize a divorce for his new love, Daisy, who lives in India. However, it is obvious he is still madly in love with Clarissa when he decides to make an unannounced visit to Clarissa's house. This visit climaxes when Peter breaks down in front of Clarissa and she kisses him in effort to try to comfort him. For Peter, this action confuses him even more. After being interrupted by Clarissa' daughter, Peter rushes out of the house and Clarissa yells to him that her party is later that day. This kind of chaos and drama seems to portray the kind of man Peter is. He is a very dramatic and emotional guy who has trouble dealing with his emotions. He and Clarissa's husband, Richard, are polar opposites. Where Peter is a man struggling with his feelings and prospective on life, Richard Dalloway is a rock. He is a stable, even-headed, well respected man who doesn't seem to allow his emotions to affect him. This is possibly on of the key reasons why Clarissa decided to marry Richard over Peter, as a matter of practicality versus passion. But Peter serves as a  glimpse back to the past and what "could have been".