Mrs. Dalloway (pg. 3-58)

Thus far in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, I am intrigued by her writing style. Although it can be difficult to follow, I admire the fact the fact that the point of view switches. It helps me as a reader to focus more and become more involved in the novel. However, not only the point of view but stream of consciousness plays a role as well considering the change in time and location. For example, as Clarissa Dalloway walks in the park, the scene immediately changes to a time in the past when her and Peter Walsh had been arguing, back to Clarissa Dalloway walking as if the present had never been altered. As a reader, one also gets to hear recounts about one event from two different perspective, hence Septimus' section. In addition, Woolf's lack of use of quotation marks may seem bothersome to others, however, I think it keeps the tempo of the book moving. Plus, I think it is fascinating how an author can dictate the reader with a technique as such—it makes them keep up. In my opinion, the lack of her punctuation or transition makes the conversation, scene, or account seem natural. That is how it would be reenacted in real life, in my opinion.

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