Post World War I Novel. Short biography on Virginia Woolf and book report on her work "Mrs. Dalloway"

Essay by katelyn420College, UndergraduateA-, May 2007

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Post World War I Novel"Mrs. Dalloway" by Virginia WoolfThe ending of World War I in Europe left England in a state of physical and political upheaval. Being the arena for Europe's war, England's physical destruction could be seen everywhere. However, England was also undergoing political and emotional turmoil. In addition to England's loss of political clout with its colonies, women's rights were also being fought out in the public domain. People were suffering from a loss of human life, property and also a way of life. In the rubble of this war, Virginia Woolf's novel, Mrs. Dalloway, erupted.

Virginia Woolf was the daughter of a literary critic from London. She was home schooled, as women in those days were not considered worth educating. She never attended College; however, she did participate in the literary salons that came into being during that time period. Her involvement in these gatherings, as well as the publication of her literary handiwork, did not occur until after the death of her father.

She became an active member in the women's rights movement as well as an active contributor in the literary circle of the period. Her novel, Mrs. Dalloway, was considered her first real literary accomplishment. This novel employed what was called "stream of consciousness" for which she is considered by many to be one of this technique's first patrons. This mode of writing allowed the reader to become privy to the inner thoughts of the characters. The character did not hold back any of his feelings, but rather expressed whatever was on his mind at that precise moment.

The novel, Mrs. Dalloway, is the story of an upper-class British housewife, whose emotional struggles post World War I are told to an audience through "stream of conscious". The entire story revolves around 24 hours...