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Mrs. Dalloway began as two different short stories, and one of them was called “The Prime Minister.” In the novel the Prime Minister acts as a symbol of England’s traditional values and social hierarchy, which have begun to decline as a result of World War I. When Peter Walsh wanted to insult Clarissa and suggest she would give up her ideals to become a “perfect hostess,” he said that she will marry a prime minister. Lady Bruton, on the other hand, uses “Prime Minister” as a compliment to Hugh Whitbread, another figure of English tradition. The car that is possibly bearing the prime minister is a spectacle in the street, but then people turn away from it to look at the airplane advertisement. At Clarissa’s party the Prime Minister’s arrival is greatly anticipated, but when he actually shows up he is a disappointment. Throughout the novel people cling to their ideas of “greatness” in English society, while the reality becomes more and more sobering and pathetic.
The Prime Minister Quotes in Mrs Dalloway
The Mrs Dalloway quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Prime Minister. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Section 1
Quotes
How he scolded her! How they argued! She would marry a Prime Minister and stand at the top of a staircase; the perfect hostess he called her (she had cried over it in her bedroom), she had the makings of the perfect hostess, he said.
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Section 9
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Nobody looked at him. They just went on talking, yet it was perfectly plain that they all knew, felt to the marrow of their bones, this majesty passing; this symbol of what they stood for, English society. Old Lady Bruton… swam up, and they withdrew into a little room which at once became spied upon, guarded, and a sort of stir and rustle rippled through every one, openly: the Prime Minister!
Lord, lord, the snobbery of the English! thought Peter Walsh, standing in the corner. How they loved dressing up in gold lace and doing homage!
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Get the entire Mrs Dalloway LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Prime Minister Symbol Timeline in Mrs Dalloway
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Prime Minister appears in Mrs Dalloway. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Section 1
...life, and remembers him bringing her to tears by saying that she would marry a Prime Minister and become a “perfect hostess” someday. Peter had once asked Clarissa to marry him, but...
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Section 2
...going by in the street. Passersby wonder if the car contains the Queen or the Prime Minister behind its curtains. Septimus Warren Smith, a young veteran of World War I, also hears...
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Section 6
...over. The voices he hears tell him that he must reveal his secrets to the Prime Minister . Then he sees a dog that seems to turn into a man, and Septimus...
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Section 7
...it. She puts Hugh’s carnations in the front of her dress and calls him “My Prime Minister !”
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Section 9
...other Dalloway servants hurry about, making last-minute preparations for the party. They hear that the Prime Minister will be there, but the cook says that this makes no difference for her work....
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The Prime Minister arrives, interrupting Clarissa and Sally’s reunion. In his appearance he looks ordinary and almost laughable,...
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Clarissa shows the Prime Minister out. She feels the intoxication and pleasure of the party now, but it all seems...
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