Imagery and Symbol in Mrs Dalloway - The Uncovered English
Mrs Dalloway
Novel by Virginia Woolf
Imagery and Symbol
Symbols and imagery are an essential part of the novel, Mrs Dalloway, as they are connotative as well as emotive and evocative. They convey not only Woolf's meaning, but also they carry a rich aura of emotion and associations. Mrs Dalloway has a greater degree of inwardness than most other novels in English language, and hence symbol and imagery run through the very design of the novel. The use of symbol and imagery enables the novelist to render the psyche of her characters as well as deliver her indictment of a spiritual hollow civilization. Virginia Woolf evolved her own theories of symbol and imagery and explained, "What interests me most in the last stage is the freedom and boldness with which my imagination picked up used and tossed aside all images and symbol."
So far as the use of symbols and images in Mrs Dalloway is concerned, it has been pointed out that the whole design of the novel is symbolic. By means of the symbolic design and pattern, the novelist succeeded in importing inexpressible even to the most trivial things. In the words of Robert Humphry, "Clarissa Dalloway's day, her preparations for the party, her final realisation of her at the party are symbolic." In this manner the trivial subject gains inexpressible significance, just as the trivial subject gains meaning.
Virginia Woolf has used nature symbols and imagery in Mrs Dalloway. These nature symbols and images suggest mental states and feelings. Calm fresh morning air, "like the flop of wave, the kiss of a wave, chill and sharp represents the youth of Clarissa Dalloway, her girlhood at Bourton." The imagery of flowers and green field in the novel has repeatedly symbolised peace and contentment. This is the reason way Lucrezia thinks of fields and flowers when she remembers her happy life at Milan. Rose is the symbol of love and fulfilment that is why Richard Dalloway buys rose to say, "I love you" to Clarissa. The beautiful imagery of cloudscapes with alternating lights and shades symbolise the alternating movement of joys and sorrows in life.
There are images of verious inanimate objects that are used as symbols. Streets are the symbols of anonymity and mystery in life. Various aspects and activities of life are represented through the images of rooms, houses, windows, doors and cities. Room is the symbol kf protection and intimacy, house represents the integration of a person with his family, window symbolises the personal outlook etc.
Peter walsh is symbolical of an adventurer who hates pride and vanity. Both Peter walsh and Sally Seton represent new ideals which stand against the orthodox and conservative outlook. Both detest Dalloway and whiteboard for doing nothing, thinking nothing, and for their ostentation and pride etc. Peter and Sally both are fond of reading and are endowed with the gift of understanding human nature and character.
Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw are symbolical of merciless imposition of an individual's will. They intended to convert other according to their own view regardless of whether they are right or wrong. They present remorseless strength of will which though makes one able to rise high in the world, turns him an object of fear for others.
Thus Virginia Woolf has abundently used symbols and images both animate and inanimate in Mrs Dalloway. Those symbols and images help the characters in expressing their inner reality and the novelist to interpret stream of consciousness. Further, as M. C. Thakur points out, it is through the use of symbols and images that the novelists, "delivers her diatribe against a superficial society that lacks dept in human relations" and is too materialised and conservative.
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