AP Lit: October 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

Works Cited

Bear, Jacci Howard. “Blue.” About.com. 2010. The New York Times Company. 25 Sept, 2010 <http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/blue.htm>.

“Cause for Fear: Sexual Apprehension in the Writings of Virginia Woolf.” UPenn. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.stwing.upenn.edu/~lpottle/Thesis.html>.

“Characteristics.” Department of Horticultural Science. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Rhodosp.htm>.

“History and Meaning of the Yellow Rose.” ProFlowers. 2010. 4 Oct. 2010 <http://www.proflowers.com/flowerguide/rosemeanings/yellowrose-meanings.aspx>.

Lee, Hermione. “Virginia Woolf.” The New York Times. 1997. The New York Times Company. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/l/lee-woolf.html>.

Nicolson, Nigel. “Virginia Woolf.” The New York Times. 2000. The New York Times Company. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/n/nicolson-woolf.html>.

Snyder, Ed. “Death Depicted in Cemetary Symbolism - Part I.” Stone Angels. 2010. WordPress and Hybrid. 25 Sept. 2010 <http://www.stoneangels.net/death-depicted-cemetery-symbolism-part-1/>.

Tompson, Richard S. "Woolf, Virginia." Great Britain: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Modern World History Online. 27 Sept 2010< http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=

WE53&iPin=GB1369&SingleRecord=True>.

“Virginia Woolf.” Introduction to Comparative Literature. 2004. Colorado College. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://ats.coloradocollege.edu/co100-04-b1/author/page.php?autPage=3>.

Whitaker, Daved J., Rachael King, and David Knott. “Jellyfish.” Sea Science. 2006. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. 4 Oct. 2010 <http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/pub/seascience/jellyfi.html>.

Photo Credits:

"Abstract Smoke Art Tutorial." 101 Prints. 2010. 24 Oct. 2010 <http://www.101prints.com/tutorials/abstract-smoke-art-tutorial/>.

"Embassy of the United States, Sofia Bulgaria - Earth Day (April 22, 2009)." Embassy of the United States, Sofia Bulgaria - Home. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://bulgaria.usembassy.gov/media_04222009a.html>.

"How Much Astrological Influence Affects My Creative Visualization? | Learn Creative Visualization." Learn Creative Visualization | Visualize and Materialize. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://learn-creative-visualization.com/2010/02/06/how-much-astrological-influence-affects-my-creative-visualization/>.

Jelly Fish. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://www.jellyfishs.com/>.

Johnson, Erin. "The Buzz: Making Waves on ScienceBlogs." Web log post. ScienceBlogs. 26 May 2009. Web. 24 Oct. 2010 <http://scienceblogs.com/seed/2009/05/the_buzz_making_waves_on_scien.php>.

"Monarch Butterfly Pictures." Fohn.net. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://fohn.net/monarch-butterfly-pictures/>.

"Scottish Paintings by Scottish Artists." Scottish Paintings Art Gallery with Canvas Prints. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://www.scottishpaintings.eu/scottishpaintings.html>.

"TLC Home "Caring for Roses"" TLC "Guides" Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/how-to-care-for-roses.htm>.

"To from Flowers2world.com." Sending Flowers Online - Flower Shops, Florist, Flowers, Send Flowers, Red Rose Bouquet, Flower Delivery. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://www.flowers2world.com/send_flowers_online/viewdetails.asp?product_id=36&productid=68863>.

Vaughan, Beth. "The Harper in Fairyland." Spirit of Trees. 24 Oct. 2010 <http://www.spiritoftrees.org/folktales/vaughan/harper_in_fairyland.html>.

Hours/Dalloway #16

“They sit quietly for a moment. It is somehow worse that the house still stands. It is worse that sun and then dark and sun have entered and left those rooms every day, that rain has continued falling on that roof, that the whole thing could be visited again” (132).

Cunningham uses this passage to suggest the theme that time passes and lives continue to be lived even when people are not there to witness it. Clarissa and Louis both realize that this house, which stands for their past together, sat at a standstill as they continued their lives separately. Cunningham makes the point that as humans, past experiences are difficult for us to cope with. He successfully conveys this point through repetition of the phrase “it is worse.” Many people choose to ignore the past because it can lead to regret of what one could have or should have done. Clarissa and Louis realize that “the whole thing,” or their life together, “could be visited again” but that does not mean that it will happen. It makes it that much harder that they realize the option is still there but they both know neither will take the chance. Cunningham shows time passing through the usage of the words “sun” and “dark” to emphasize the fact that Clarissa and Louis’ past together was a very long time ago. Through these few simple sentences, Cunningham brings to life the idea that time will never stop.

Photo Credit:

"Scottish Paintings by Scottish Artists." Scottish Paintings Art Gallery with Canvas Prints. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://www.scottishpaintings.eu/scottishpaintings.html>.

Hours/Dalloway #15

“From far away, she can hear a dog barking” (215).

Cunningham uses the imagery of a dog barking to create the idea of isolation. Mrs. Brown has separated herself from reality through her reading and worrying. A dog barking suggests the idea of something being very far off in the distance; this can be interpreted to mean that Mrs. Brown has distanced herself from the rest of life, leading to her isolation from the world and people around her. This isolation ultimately leads to her attempt at suicide. Cunningham used the imagery of a dog barking not only because it creates the appropriate image for this scene but because it relates the moment to a similar one in Mrs. Dalloway where Septimus Warren Smith hears dogs barking in the distance. Using this same image in a parallel situation creates a string connecting both books. Cunningham did not write The Hours as an original book; rather, he created it to be his version of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. By using several of the same images as Woolf, he lets his readers know that it is his intent to produce a version of the previous novel.

Photo Credit:

Hours/Dalloway #14

“I don’t think two people could have been happier than we’ve been” (200, 7).

Cunningham places this line twice in the novel. The first time the line appears is in Virginia’s letter to her husband before she commits suicide. The second time, this line is Richard’s last words right before he jumps out of the window. Cunningham uses this line twice to create the connection between Richard and Virginia. These characters lived parallel lives. Similarly, Leonard and Clarissa have similar lives since they are in the position of trying to help Virginia and Richard. The way Cunningham uses this line enforces this idea; just as Leonard was the one to whom Virginia was speaking, it was Clarissa to whom Richard was speaking. Placing this line in the first few pages of the book and then the last few pages brings the book full circle, connecting seemingly unrelated lives.

Hours/Dalloway #13

“Everything she sees feels as if it’s pinned to the day the way etherized butterflies are pinned to a board” (141).

Cunningham uses this comparison to give both the scene and Mrs. Brown’s character a morbid mood. The analogy Cunningham uses here creates the image of a lifeless, dead day. The day is even unnaturally dead since the butterflies are “etherized” or put to sleep with anesthetic and then “pinned to a board” which kills them. This process of death is not natural. This analogy creates a somber mood and it plays up the negative effect that Mrs. Brown has on other characters such as Richie since she is the principle cause of his suicide. Cunningham chose to use this particular analogy not only because it created the appropriate mood for the scene but because catching butterflies was something that Virginia Woolf did in her actual life. When she was a child, she would spread syrup on trees causing butterflies to get stuck when they tried to land on the trunk. She would then spread the butterflies out on cork boards and pin them there. Cunningham uses this moment as a way to bring more of the actual Virginia Woolf into his writing.

Works Cited:

Nicolson, Nigel. “Virginia Woolf.” The New York Times. 2000. The New York Times Company. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/n/nicolson-woolf.html>.

Photo Credit:

"Monarch Butterfly Pictures." Fohn.net. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://fohn.net/monarch-butterfly-pictures/>.

Hours/Dalloway #12

“She thinks of how much more space a being occupies in life than it does in death; how much illusion of size is contained in gestures and movements, in breathing. Dead, we are revealed in our true dimensions, and they are surprisingly modest. Hadn’t her own mother seemed to have been removed surreptitiously and replaced by a little version made of pale iron?” (165).

Through this passage, Cunningham explores Woolf’s relationship with death. Her observation that people take up more space when they are alive suggests that Woolf feels as though people do not deserve to use that space. This belief of hers is confirmed when she uses the word “true” to explain how people are in their dead state. Cunningham uses this opportunity to explain the impact Woolf’s mother’s death had on her. Woolf was only thirteen when her mother died and the fact that she talks about her mother here, as she discusses death as being a good thing, suggests that her mother’s death sparked her suicidal condition. She uses the fact that her mother was “replaced by a little version made of pale iron” to support her claim that we as humans take up more space alive than dead, since iron is very dense. Also, the words “removed” and “replaced” seem to hint at the idea that Woolf’s mother was taken away by somebody else and then this same person put a little statue in her place. This suggests that Woolf believes in some sort of God even though she was raised in an agnostic family. Perhaps her conflicting spiritual beliefs within herself have contributed to her unstable mental condition.

“Virginia Woolf.” Introduction to Comparative Literature. 2004. Colorado College. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://ats.coloradocollege.edu/co100-04-b1/author/page.php?autPage=3>.

Nicolson, Nigel. “Virginia Woolf.” The New York Times. 2000. The New York Times Company. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/n/nicolson-woolf.html>.

Hours/Dalloway #11

“I think of them as coalescences of black fire, I mean they’re dark and bright at the same time. There was one that looked a bit like a black, electrified jellyfish” (59).

“She might see it while walking with Leonard in the square, a scintillating silver-white mass floating over the cobblestones, randomly spiked, fluid but whole, like a jellyfish” (70).

Cunningham uses these two passages to show the similarities between Richard and Virginia Woolf. Both of these characters struggle with mental illness and using a jellyfish to describe both of their struggles creates that connection. Here, Richard is discussing the images and voices that he sees and hears and Virginia is describing her “headaches.” Cunningham uses the symbol of a jellyfish in both cases since a jellyfish, due to its radial symmetry, has the ability to see all around itself. Richard and Virginia, though labeled as being mentally unstable, are clearly very intelligent; they are both very talented writers who both are known for their brilliant words. Society labels Richard and Virginia as being “handicapped” just as jellyfish may appear to be underdeveloped, but in reality, they are very advanced. Even though Cunningham is using these passages to point out the similarities between Virginia and Richard, he uses the color of these jellyfish to reveal the different ways people can feel pain. Virginia’s pain is expressed through a “silver-white” jellyfish and Richard’s pain through a black jellyfish. This color symbolism seems to represent day and night. Virginia feels as though she is stuck in daylight as she “prays for dark the way a wanderer lost in the desert prays for water” (71). On the other hand, Richard is trapped in the dark as Cunningham describes his face as “[seeming] to rise up out of the darkness like a sunken sculpture hauled to the surface” (58). Through this, Cunningham suggests that too much of anything causes people to feel trapped, whether it be light or dark.

Work Cited:

Photo Credit:

Jelly Fish. Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://www.jellyfishs.com/>.

Hours/Dalloway #10

“‘No,’ says Angelica. ‘There’s still the roses.’... [Virginia] almost protests that the bird should be laid down first, the roses arranged around its body. That is clearly how it should be done. You would, she thinks, argue with a five-year-old girl about such things. You would, if Vanessa and the boys weren’t watching.

Angelica takes one of the yellow roses they’ve picked and places it, carefully, along the edge of the grass mound. She adds another and another until she has created a rough circle of rosebuds, thorny stems, and leaves...Virginia looks with unanticipated pleasure at this modest circlet of thorns and flowers; this wild deathbed. She would like to lie down on it herself” (119).

Cunningham uses this passage to show that Virginia Woolf and Laura Brown have very similar personalities. Just as Laura is very picky about how her cake is made and is set on the fact that the yellow roses should be placed on the cake after the lettering is written, Virginia feels the same way about the bird’s death bed. Cunningham uses the parallel situation between the two women to show this similarity. Both women are perfectionists. Throughout the whole novel, Cunningham frequently uses the symbol of the yellow rose. Yellow roses are interesting because their meaning has changed over time and their meaning varies depending on the location. In Eastern cultures, the rose holds a positive meaning but in European cultures, the yellow rose is a symbol of jealousy and of dying love. Today, the yellow rose is more commonly used to represent friendship but this negative connotation is still in its history. Cunningham uses yellow roses to represent the idea of dying love. At first glance, a yellow rose appears to be a positive symbol but after looking deeper, it actually represents a negative idea. This represents how many of the characters feel in the book. On the surface Mrs. Brown acts like her life is fine but deep down she is actually severely depressed. Similarly, Virginia Woolf may act as though she is feeling better so she can move back to London but she is actually not healed. Clarissa tries to create a life for herself with Sally but that is impossible with Richard’s illness. The frequent appearance of the yellow rose connects these women’s lives and reminds the reader that seemingly perfect lives actually have more layers.

Work Cited:

“History and Meaning of the Yellow Rose.” ProFlowers. 2010. 4 Oct. 2010 <http://www.proflowers.com/flowerguide/rosemeanings/yellowrose-meanings.aspx>.

Photo Credit:

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Hours/Dalloway #9

“Some distance above her is the bright, rippled surface. The sky reflects unsteadily there, white and heavy with clouds, traversed by the black cutout shapes of rocks. Cars and trucks rumble over the bridge. A small boy, no older than three, crossing the bridge with his mother, stops at the rail, crouches, and pushes the stick he’s been carrying between the slats of the railing so it will fall into the water. His mother urges him along but he insists on staying awhile, watching the stick as the current takes it” (8).

Cunningham uses this simple moment to explore the idea that each person has his or her own individual life and is unaware of most other people’s lives. He suggests that life continues for those who are left behind after someone dies. Cunningham uses a small boy here to symbolize innocence. The young boy juxtaposed with the terrible suicide aggrandizes the theme. Cunningham uses this interaction between a mother and a son very early on in the book to introduce the theme of family relations, particularly those involving a child and a parent. Woolf lacked a close relationship with her parents since her mother died when she was only thirteen. When she was twenty-two, her father died. Similarly, Richard did not have a close relationship with his mother. In both cases, these weak relationships led to the child’s suicide. In this way, this scene is quite ironic since the interaction occurs over Virginia’s dead body and her suicide was a result of her lacking that bond.

“Virginia Woolf.” Introduction to Comparative Literature. 2004. Colorado College. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://ats.coloradocollege.edu/co100-04-b1/author/page.php?autPage=3>.

Hours/Dalloway #8

“The earth thrilled beneath him. Red flowers grew through his flesh; their stiff leaves rustled by his head” (68).

Woolf uses imagery to foreshadow Septimus’ death. Just as a corpse would be buried in the earth, Septimus is becoming part of the earth as flowers grow around him. Woolf is referring to roses, as roses are mentioned just sentences later when Septimus says “...the thick red roses which grow on my bedroom wall.” This statement also furthers the idea that Septimus will die and become part of the earth since the terms “sleeping” and “death” are often interchangeable. Woolf uses the symbol of red roses to give death a more pleasant view since red roses are often the symbol of love and warmth. Woolf intertwines these two seemingly different ideas (death and love) to present an unconventional view of death. This corresponds with her own choice of death over life. The references to death throughout Mrs. Dalloway add to the theme of passing time. Whether humans control the amount of time they spend on earth or not, there is only so much time available to humans. This limit is the principle reason time is such a precious thing.

Work Cited:

Photo Credit:

"TLC Home "Caring for Roses"" TLC "Guides" Web. 25 Oct. 2010 <http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/how-to-care-for-roses.htm>.

Hours/Dalloway #7

“But Proportion has a sister, less smiling, more formidable, a Goddess even now engaged - in the heat and sands of India, the mud and swamp of Africa, the purlieus of London, wherever in short the climate or the devil tempts men to fall from the true belief which is her own - is even now engaged in dashing down shrines, smashing idols, and setting up in their place her own stern countenance. Conversion is her name and she feasts on the wills of the weakly, loving to impress, to impose, adoring her own features stamped on the face of the populace. At Hyde Park Corner on a tub she stands preaching; shrouds herself in white and walks penitentially disguised as brotherly love through factories and parliaments; offers help, but desires power; smites out of her way roughly the dissentient, or dissatisfied; bestows her blessing on those who, looking upward, catch submissively from her eyes the light of their own” (100).

Through this passage, Woolf expresses her anger at others attempting to change one’s views. She personifies “Proportion” and “Conversion” to elaborate on this view. By describing Conversion as Proportion’s sister, she relates the two. Proportion is Sir William’s term for a “normal” perspective on life which, in his opinion, Septimus lacks. This relates to Woolf’s own struggle with being declared as abnormal due to her mental condition. There is a connection between Proportion and Conversion because someone can attempt to convert another person to their own sense of Proportion. Hyde Park is where Woolf was born and raised. Woolf uses this reference to Hyde Park to tell her audience that she herself is guilty of attempting to convert others. Paradoxes such as this one are commonly found in Woolf. She is known for being an egotist even though she said that she did not like egotists. She may have hated people who attempted to convert others, but this is most likely because she had strong beliefs herself and thought others should believe the same thing as her.

Works Cited:

“Virginia Woolf.” Introduction to Comparative Literature. 2004. Colorado College. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://ats.coloradocollege.edu/co100-04-b1/author/page.php?autPage=3>.

Lee, Hermione. “Virginia Woolf.” The New York Times. 1997. The New York Times Company. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/l/lee-woolf.html>.

Hours/Dalloway #6

“Now for his writings; how the dead sing behind rhododendron bushes; odes to Time; conversations with Shakespeare; Evans, Evans, Evans - his messages from the dead; do not cut down trees; tell the Prime Minister. Universal love; the meaning of the world” (147-148).

Woolf emphasizes the importance of words - they sometimes tell more about a person than the actual person. Septimus especially had a connection with words since he felt that they would live on even after he killed himself. His writings represented many of the themes present in Mrs. Dalloway. The rhododendron bushes symbolize the death Septimus is speaking of since rhododendron bushes are poisonous. However, plants often symbolize life so Woolf uses this symbolical paradox to show how life and death can exist at once, just like how the past and present are intertwined throughout Mrs. Dalloway. Septimus’ “odes to Time” re-emphasize the theme of time. In this novel, which is structured by the tolling of Big Ben, Woolf shows how so much can happen in just one single day, demonstrating how precious time is. The capitalization of the word “Time” gives it even more importance as time then becomes a figure - instead of an idea -that can be worshipped similarly to a God.

Just as Septimus included Shakespeare in his writings, Woolf was greatly influenced by Shakespeare as she used some of his exact lines in her writing, such as the line “Fear no more the heat o’ the sun” (9). Woolf even wrote the fictional story A Room of One’s Own in which Shakespeare had a sister.

Septimus tells of Evans’ “message from the dead” in which Evans says “not to cut down the trees.” Trees are often a symbol of life. Through this symbol, Woolf puts an emphasis on the importance of life. Earlier in the novel on page 57, Woolf compared trees to women. Through this passage Woolf is again re-emphasizing women’s important positions in life. Lastly, the reference to “universal love” can be interpreted as Woolf’s connection to and interest about homosexuality. In Mrs. Dalloway, Woolf incorporates homosexuality through Clarissa and Sally’s relationship and through Septimus and Evans’ relationship. Woolf herself had what some consider to be relationships with other women, namely Madge Vaughn and Violet Dickinson.

Works Cited:

“Cause for Fear: Sexual Apprehension in the Writings of Virginia Woolf.” UPenn. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.stwing.upenn.edu/~lpottle/Thesis.html>.

“Characteristics.” Department of Horticultural Science. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Rhodosp.htm>.

Photo Credit:

Hours/Dalloway #5

“It might be possible, Septimus thought, looking at England from the train window, as they left New Haven; it might be possible that the world itself is without meaning” (88).

Throughout Mrs. Dalloway, Woolf portrays many of her feelings through Septimus. It is clear that “her” character is Septimus since he is the one who commits suicide in the end of the book. In this quote, Woolf demonstrates her belief that life itself may be meaningless. The “itself” suggests that there is a bigger picture that she is comparing this to, which is most likely that fact that she cannot feel things just as Septimus claims to be unable to feel things. The fact that life may be without meaning is her explanation as to why she is unable to feel things. The entire novel however refutes this argument. Woolf explores just how much can happen in one single day and therefore proves that life really does have a point behind it. Septimus’ thoughts about the meaning of life are Woolf’s way of clearly stating the very belief she is trying to contradict throughout the rest of the novel. Since she herself dealt with depression and suicide, Mrs. Dalloway may be her way of attempting to contradict her own beliefs and prove to herself that there is meaning behind life.

Hours/Dalloway #4

“By conviction an atheist perhaps, he is taken by surprise with moments of extraordinary exaltation. Nothing exists outside us except a state of mind, he thinks; a desire for solace, for relief, for something outside these miserable pigmies, these feeble, these ugly these craven men and women. But if he can conceive of her, then in some sort she exists, he thinks, and advancing down the path with his eyes upon the sky and branches he rapidly endows them with womanhood; sees with amazement how grave they become; how majestically, as the breeze stirs them, they dispense with a dark flutter of the leaves charity, comprehension, absolution, and then, flinging themselves suddenly aloft, confound the piety of their aspect with a wild carouse” (57).

Woolf uses this passage to take a step away from the individual characters in the novel and state a general truth about the world through an archetype: the “traveler.” Using a traveler to represent this general truth about discovery is appropriate because every person is in theory a traveler through life. Woolf herself grew up in an agnostic family and her religious beliefs are seen here. Although she grew up as an “atheist” it is possible that she “[was] taken by surprise with moments of extraordinary exaltation.” Woolf suggests that life is defined merely by how we see it, as nothing is really around us “except a state of mind.” Through the rest of the novel, Woolf displays this belief by showing the world from many different character’s points of view. All any person wants is an escape of sorts from the “pigmies” found in the world. Here, Woolf represents God, who is the escape, as a female which reveals her feminist views. Much of Woolf’s writing career was geared toward exposing women’s roles and displaying the fact that they too had important lives. One topic in particular that she dedicated her literature to was women’s lives. She herself states in 1927 that “very little is known about women” and she was concerned with the fact that “very few women yet have written truthful autobiographies.” By portraying God as a female - as opposed to the normal “He” - Woolf shows her desire for more sexual equality in the world. Woolf further develops this belief by representing females with a tree. Trees are one of the basic necessities of life. This represents women’s strong rooted positions in life. The leaves which are vessels of women’s strength are scattered around the world bringing “charity, comprehension, [and] absolution.” This symbolizes what women could bring to the world with greater influence.

Works Cited:

Lee, Hermione. “Virginia Woolf.” The New York Times. 1997. The New York Times Company. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/l/lee-woolf.html>.

Nicolson, Nigel. “Virginia Woolf.” The New York Times. 2000. The New York Times Company. 3 Oct. 2010 <http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/n/nicolson-woolf.html>.

Photo Credit:

Vaughan, Beth. "The Harper in Fairyland." Spirit of Trees. 24 Oct. 2010 <http://www.spiritoftrees.org/folktales/vaughan/harper_in_fairyland.html>.

Hours/Dalloway #3

“The word ‘time’ split its husk; poured its riches over him; and from his lips fell like shells, like shavings from a plane, without his making them, hard, white, imperishable words, and flew to attach themselves to their places in an ode to Time; an immortal ode to Time” (69-70).

Time is a very important theme in Mrs. Dalloway. Woolf herself must have been very hung up on time since she committed suicide - as she planned her suicide, she was very aware that her time was limited and this is evident through her writing. As this passage is written from Septimus’ point of view, Woolf makes it clear that like herself, Septimus is very aware of time. Woolf uses strong imagery through her diction to suggest the power of words in relation to time. One cannot take back any words one says as words are “imperishable.” Calling the words “hard” and “white” suggest their strength and and imply that they cannot be destroyed. This is different from humans who are destroyed as time passes. Therefore, it is words that Woolf is referring to when she says that it is an “immortal ode to Time” - words cannot die. The first sentence suggests that upon hearing the word “time,” Time itself breaks free or “[splits] its husk” inside Septimus. He suddenly becomes aware of the beauty of Time as it “[pours] its riches over him” and he grows to appreciate the immortality of words. Woolf uses this passage to emphasize Septimus’ appreciation for the beauty of life but he feels that his words represent himself more accurately. He sees the beauty in life and realizes that he will live on through his words after he is gone. It is also interesting to point out that Rezia had actually merely asked Septimus what the time was instead of making the statement, “It is time.” However, through Septimus’ perception of this statement, Woolf makes it clear that Septimus is realizing that his time for death is approaching.

Hours/Dalloway #2

"Every power poured its treasures on his head, and his hand lay there on the back of the sofa, as he had seen his hand lie when he was bathing, floating, on the top of the waves, while far away on shore he heard dogs barking and barking far away. Fear no more, says the heart in the body; fear no more" (139).

Woolf uses the character of Septimus Warren Smith to express her own feelings. Woolf suffered from severe depression and actually committed suicide by drowning herself. This emotional connection Woolf had with water is seen through this passage as Septimus connects his current state with bathing. He then further relates bathing to ocean waves. The symbolism of the waves not only lies in their connection to Woolf but in the idea that one event leads to another - since a wave starts small and then grows larger - which is a prominent theme in Mrs. Dalloway. Woolf uses the imagery of “dogs barking and barking far away” to suggest Septimus’ emotional distance from other people. Far away barking hints at the idea of isolation just as Septimus views things differently from other people and is therefore separated from the rest of society. The personification of the heart is used to suggest that the soul of a person is a separate being from the body. Putting the heart in control (the heart is the one commanding the body) emphasizes that the soul is the more important of the two. This idea that the soul is separate from the body is a big part of Septimus’ character. He is trapped in a deep depression so to free his mind, he commits suicide. He puts his soul before his body.

Works Cited:

WE53&iPin=GB1369&SingleRecord=True>.

Picture Credit:

Johnson, Erin. "The Buzz: Making Waves on ScienceBlogs." Web log post. ScienceBlogs. 26 May 2009. Web. 24 Oct. 2010 <http://scienceblogs.com/seed/2009/05/the_buzz_making_waves_on_scien.php>.

Hours/Dalloway #1

“The rich benignant cigar smoke eddied coolly down his throat; he puffed it out again in rings which breasted the air bravely for a moment; blue, circular - I shall try and get a word alone with Elizabeth to-night, he thought - then began to wobble into hour-glass shapes and taper away; odd shapes they take, he thought” (56).

Woolf uses the cigar smoke to make her point that it is impossible to stop time. The smoke begins as brave, blue circles and then fades into “hour-glass shapes” before disappearing altogether. The original blue color of the smoke suggests the smoke's calming effects but because it “[breasts] the air bravely,” the smoke is not only calm but strong. The smoke’s circular shape suggests its endless, continuing strength as it tackles the air. This is similar to a young person’s journey through life - young people more easily fearfully face life than those belonging to earlier generations. This explains why Peter’s thoughts about Elizabeth are placed here. She is still young and has her whole life in front of her. The interruption also helps to show the passing time before describing the smoke a few seconds later as it begins “to wobble into hour-glass shapes and taper away.” Woolf compares the smoke to an hour-glass to introduce the topic of time passing. Just as the smoke was once bold but is now fading, it is inevitable that time passes and humans will eventually one day die. Peter and Mrs. Dalloway were once young and strong but now time has passed and they no longer have that boldness.

Works Cited:

Bear, Jacci Howard. “Blue.” About.com. 2010. The New York Times Company. 25 Sept, 2010 <http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/blue.htm>.

Snyder, Ed. “Death Depicted in Cemetary Symbolism - Part I.” Stone Angels. 2010. WordPress and Hybrid. 25 Sept. 2010 <http://www.stoneangels.net/death-depicted-cemetery-symbolism-part-1/>.

Photo Credit:

"Abstract Smoke Art Tutorial." 101 Prints. 2010. 24 Oct. 2010 <http://www.101prints.com/tutorials/abstract-smoke-art-tutorial/>.