On Clarissa Dalloway
“그녀는 온종일 부어턴과 피터와 샐리를 생각했다”
“한때는 그녀도 부어턴의 테라스 위를 걸었던 것이다”
런던에서 열리는 그녀의 파티에서 클라리사는 생각한다. 파티에 초대된 브래드쇼 경, 수상, 레이드 브루턴, 휴, 피터, 엘리, 레이디 로시터, 해리 경, 젊은 게이튼 경과 낸시, 로이어 교수, 미스 패리의 안주인인 클라리사가 회상한다.
이 직전, 클라리사는 브래드쇼 경(의사)이 진료한 청년 (셉티머스 워렌)이 죽었다는 소식을 레이디 브래드쇼에게서 듣는다. 그 후, 클라리사는 “우리는 늙어 갈 거야”, 그녀를 아침에 깨서 하녀를 부르지 않게하는 두려운 그 소재, 에 대해 생각한다.
Events of Clarissa’s life derails, enshrouds and blurs the fact that she’s “getting older”: she hosts parties for the sake of parties (Clarissa enjoys the scene, the attention that she draws, is a natural when it comes to gathering/hosting people). During this party, she feels how empty this gets but cannot help fill herself with attention from others. Her brittle, glossy sense of security holds until she witnesses Bradshaw speaking to Richard Dalloway. Something about Bradshaw bothers her (not exclusive to the news of Ceptimus’ death). This derailing life is unbearable to Clarissa, its inevitability infuriates her.
She feels that Sir Bradshaw’s diagnosis, expertly given to patients at his cliinic on Halle street and confidently given by “Of course (this is how it’s suppose to be done, I know better with 30 years of experience under my belt)”, serves to confidently perpetuate this inevitability. Amidst the party, alone in a room where the Prime Minister sat on a sofa not an hour ago, the night sky confronts Clarissa, knocks on the one door that is elusive to Mrs.Dalloway’s inevitable lifestyle and dear to Clarissa’s heart.
Clarissa is in agony over Mrs.Dalloway’s, estranged from life as-is (that is not to say she detests Mrs.Dalloway’s life; she enjoys it), and holds onto life. Richard helps her hold on. Perhaps the news of Septimus’ death helps Clarissa reinvent her fond memories of Bourton as a reminder that she is “getting older.”
부어턴은 클라리사가 누구와 함께 했던 곳인가? 샐리 시튼 (현 레이디 로시터), 피터 월시와 어린시절을 함께한 곳이다.
Woolf’s pastiche of impressions, characters-and-associated-symbols (Bradshaw-balance, Septimus-human condition, Lady Bruton, Peter Walsh, Sally, Ellie, Clarissa, Richard, Hugh) is a distributed story, and not an obvious plot-driven novel. Perhaps you would call it a TMI novel (If you’re looking for a TMI novel at its finest: The Meeting at Telgte is a must-read).
Youths (like Sir Gayton and Nancy) find Clarissa charming, and Clarissa enjoys the company of royals, youths, and people. She is different from me.
Mrs.Dalloway is so much more than proving a grain of truth in life; it draws from the depths of resources of a language, its ability to move (which Sir Gayton, Nancy, and the young fellows don’t have a stake) to leave a mark on the mind.