The themes of a book are probably the most important elements that can be analyzed throughout a novel, a book without themes is not a book. In "Mrs. Dalloway", written by Virginia Woolf, there are many aspects that can be analyzed. The most important themes come from the characters themselves, and their behaviors. In this novel, there are three very important themes throughout the whole novel, that can be analyzed through setting and characters, and they are: the similarity of Septimus and Clarissa, isolation, and the fear of death. They all relate because Septimus and Clarissa are both very lonely individuals and both fear death.
The similarity of both Septimus and Clarissa makes us see just one person, due to their behaviors. We do know that Clarissa has a double personality, first the very social one, which is the one who organizes parties, and the other one, the darker one which is lonely all the time.
Arch of Septimus Severus
Clarissa
Arch of Septimus SeverusThis darker, internal person is actually almost the same as Septimus. The author makes us see that lonely Clarissa, the one who is fearful, and then Septimus's person, in his fear of death and absolute negativism. Therefore, we can conclude that Clarissa shows the positive and negative sides of life.
The isolation of the characters, especially Clarissa and Septimus, is very present throughout the novel. The first line of the novel makes a perfect example for this,"Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself," (p.1). This tells us that she was so lonely that she would buy the flowers herself due that she had nothing else to do and also because she wanted to. The same happens with Septimus due that he spends the whole time thinking to himself and remembering the war. He has nothing to do,