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Chapter 13: Mrs. Woolf
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Hours, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Passage of Time
Suicide and Mental Health
Marriage, Relationships, and Personal Fulfillment
Reading and Writing
Summary
Analysis
Julia remarks how strange Louis is. Clarissa agrees and hopes he won’t ruin Richard’s party. Clarissa thinks Julia is very beautiful even though she wears six rings on her left hand and even has a nose ring but never wears the ring Clarissa got her for the 18th birthday.
Each of the three protagonists of the novel represents a different generation of women, and Julia represents the start of yet another generation. Clarissa interprets Julia’s refusal to wear her birthday ring as a sign that Julia is rejecting her, but in fact, Julia’s superficial differences from Clarissa don’t stop the two of them from having a fairly close relationship. Just as Richard misinterprets Clarissa, Clarissa misinterprets Julia.
Themes
Julia is about to go shopping with her friend Mary Krull and has come by to pick up her backpack. In fact, Mary is outside smoking a cigarette. Clarissa suggests that maybe Mary can come in and say hello when she’s done. Julia looks embarrassed or perhaps defiant and says she could go get Mary, but Clarissa changes her mind and says there’s no need. Julia assures her mother that Mary is friendly and goes to get her.
Although Clarissa sees Julia as defiant, in fact, this scene shows that Julia is determined to do whatever it takes to get Clarissa’s approval. This passage is yet another one that explores everyday conflict, showing how a simple conversation can reveal volumes about the dynamic between Julia and Clarissa, including how each wants to please the other without always understanding what the other actually wants.
Themes
Mary is stern, with a shaved head. She’s wearing a tank top and looks like she’s probably older than 40. She and Clarissa greet each other politely. Julia says they’re shopping because Mary needs new boots. Clarissa thinks that with Mary, Julia seems like a 1950s housewife. Clarissa tells Julia to take good care of Mary, while Mary secretly thinks about how Clarissa is deluded and if anyone ever decides to “round up the deviants,” Clarissa will be right there next to Mary. Clarissa also secretly thinks Mary is a fraud for being just as aggressive and egotistical as most men.
Despite their different physical appearances, Mary and Clarissa are united in their believe that the other one is behind the times. Like Richard, Mary believes that queer relationships must leave behind the limits and conventions of heterosexual relationships. Clarissa herself can perhaps see the appeal of this longing for more, but she also wants to be accepted and understood, which is perhaps why her relationship with Sally is not so different from the heterosexual marriages in the novel.
Themes
Julia and Mary get ready to go, and Clarissa reminds Mary to be at Richard’s party at five o’clock. As Mary leaves, she thinks about how much she desires Julia but how Julia seems to be straight and probably won’t ever love her romantically.
This passage humorously shows that, for all of Clarissa’s fears that Mary is brainwashing Julia, the relationship seems to be platonic, with Julia taking charge. Mary is yet another character with more going on beneath the surface than it initially seems.
Themes
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