Mrs Dalloway: Foil 2 key examples

The allusion in this passage is drawn from the scene in Othello in which Othello lands on the island of Cyprus after a treacherous ocean passage. His new wife, Desdemona, made the passage on a different boat, so when Othello arrives in Cyprus and discovers that she, too, made it safely to the island, he expresses his utter relief and happiness by suggesting that he would be at his "most happy" if he were to die right then and there. By alluding to this moment in Othello, then, this passage in Mrs Dalloway underscores Clarissa's excitement and eagerness to see Sally, suggesting that she feels the same overwhelming pleasure and relief that Othello experiences after realizing that he and Desdemona have not lost each other. This accentuates and dramatizes Clarissa's romantic feelings for Sally, illustrating just how much she cares about her—so much, it seems, that simply going downstairs to meet Sally is like reuniting with her after a long, arduous journey.

Perhaps more importantly, though, this allusion appears a second time toward the end of the novel, when Sir William Bradshaw comes to Clarissa's party and tells her about how Septimus has killed himself. Of course, Clarissa doesn't know Septimus, but they have been subtly linked throughout the novel, as they both often think about Shakespeare and, for that matter, have a certain all-encompassing appreciation for the beauty in life, even if they also often think about death. Clarissa is angry at William Bradshaw for mentioning such a tragic occurrence at her party, thinking:

But this young man who had killed himself — had he plunged holding his treasure? 'If it were now to die, 'twere now to be most happy,' she had said to herself once, coming down, in white.

Cite this Quote

Clarissa's thought here suggests that she doesn't see Septimus's suicide as solely a tragic thing—it might, the novel implies, be an act of mercy, dignity, and even (in a way) happiness. This is why Clarissa wonders if he "plunged holding his treasure," which suggests that she thinks suicide can be a way to preserve something beautiful. In keeping with this, she remembers the quote from Othello about dying in a moment of peak happiness—which, of course, is exactly what happened to Septimus, who chose to jump out of the window while genuinely appreciating the beauty in life. In this way, the two characters serve as foils for one another, as the narrative uses them to accentuate certain qualities in each other—they're in drastically different circumstances, of course, but they have similar feelings when it comes to death, beauty, and happiness.

The novel has already established that Clarissa and Miss Kilman are foils for one another—whereas Clarissa is a well-off atheist who throws parties and has an active social life, Miss Kilman is a devoutly religious tutor who is highly scornful of Clarissa's lifestyle, which she thinks is silly, unserious, and overly privileged. And yet, the source of Miss Kilman's bitterness seems rooted in jealousy, as she goes on at length about how she doesn't care whether or not she's invited to parties like the one Clarissa is throwing: a clear sign that she's jealous of Clarissa and wants a life like hers, even if she also supposedly disapproves of her. 

On the whole, Elizabeth seems to have a special connection with Miss Kilman, but this passage implies that she's well aware of the tension between her tutor and her mother. The simile comparing Elizabeth to "some dumb creature" suggests that, although Miss Kilman hasn't explicitly singled out her mother, Elizabeth knows exactly what her tutor is talking about when she speaks disparagingly about throwing and attending parties. And yet, Elizabeth remains silent like a "dumb creature"—that is, an animal incapable of speech that has been led somewhere for an "unknown purpose" and longs to "gallop away." Although Elizabeth has a good relationship with Miss Kilman, then, it's obvious that she doesn't like being forced to listen as her tutor blatantly insults her family.

The allusion in this passage is drawn from the scene in Othello in which Othello lands on the island of Cyprus after a treacherous ocean passage. His new wife, Desdemona, made the passage on a different boat, so when Othello arrives in Cyprus and discovers that she, too, made it safely to the island, he expresses his utter relief and happiness by suggesting that he would be at his "most happy" if he were to die right then and there. By alluding to this moment in Othello, then, this passage in Mrs Dalloway underscores Clarissa's excitement and eagerness to see Sally, suggesting that she feels the same overwhelming pleasure and relief that Othello experiences after realizing that he and Desdemona have not lost each other. This accentuates and dramatizes Clarissa's romantic feelings for Sally, illustrating just how much she cares about her—so much, it seems, that simply going downstairs to meet Sally is like reuniting with her after a long, arduous journey.

Perhaps more importantly, though, this allusion appears a second time toward the end of the novel, when Sir William Bradshaw comes to Clarissa's party and tells her about how Septimus has killed himself. Of course, Clarissa doesn't know Septimus, but they have been subtly linked throughout the novel, as they both often think about Shakespeare and, for that matter, have a certain all-encompassing appreciation for the beauty in life, even if they also often think about death. Clarissa is angry at William Bradshaw for mentioning such a tragic occurrence at her party, thinking:

But this young man who had killed himself — had he plunged holding his treasure? 'If it were now to die, 'twere now to be most happy,' she had said to herself once, coming down, in white.

Cite this Quote

Clarissa's thought here suggests that she doesn't see Septimus's suicide as solely a tragic thing—it might, the novel implies, be an act of mercy, dignity, and even (in a way) happiness. This is why Clarissa wonders if he "plunged holding his treasure," which suggests that she thinks suicide can be a way to preserve something beautiful. In keeping with this, she remembers the quote from Othello about dying in a moment of peak happiness—which, of course, is exactly what happened to Septimus, who chose to jump out of the window while genuinely appreciating the beauty in life. In this way, the two characters serve as foils for one another, as the narrative uses them to accentuate certain qualities in each other—they're in drastically different circumstances, of course, but they have similar feelings when it comes to death, beauty, and happiness.