Category Archives: Mrs. Dalloway Character Analysis

Septimus Smith is a complex character who is not easily understood. He went to war in order to defend his country, in an attempt to exert his masculine, protective traits, but he came up short. During the duration of the book, Septimus seems to be on an emotional rollercoaster. He moves around from being contentedly happy with his circumstances, then goes on to feel anxious and fearful. Septimus Smith was introduced into the novel on page 14. Woolf writes, ” Septimus Warren Smith, aged about thirty, pale-faced, beak- nosed, wearing brown shoes and a shabby overcoat, with hazel eyes which had that look of apprehension in them which makes strangers apprehensive too.” On page 15, Spetimus first says “I will kill myself” in a crowd that had gathered from the noise of the motorcar, and seemingly no one noticed, but that was the first hint that Septimus was on the aforementioned emotional rollercoaster. Smith’s wife says that she had a “right to his arm, though it was without feeling.” This elaborates upon Septimus’ lack of connection to those around him, and his emotionally distant persona. The was had changed Septimus, which is apparent on page 22. Woolf writes that Rezia, who was attemping to get Septimus’ attention, thought ot herself “And it was cowardly for a man to say he would kill himself, but Septimus had fought; he was brave; he was not Septimus now.” Through this excerpt the reader realizes that Septimus is a changed man from before the war. Rezia believes him to be brave, and a changed man from the war. Throughout the book, the reader realizes that Septimus insists on having no one have power over him. He is an independent being. Rezia realizes, early on in the book, that Septimus is happy without her. He does not rely on her for happiness, and thus is independent in that aspect. He is also independent in that he does not allow Bradshaw to use him for experimentation, he does not allow anyone to have power over him. Septimus is also unable to feel. This is elaborated upon by Rezia’s claim that his arm had no feeling. Septimus is scared by his lack of feeling, but that may be an overstatement, because he never faces it, and never gives it enough thought to truly attempt to feel again. The first time that Rezia ever understands her husband is when he commits suicide. She understands why he did it, and she had witnessed the turmoil that he lived in. Septimus also refuses to give up his soul. His last words, “I’ll give it to you,” show Holmes that Septimus is going to give his body to the doctor, but he leaps out to preserve his body, and to preserve his privacy.

What I thought of Septimus Warren Smith was that he was a very gloomy individual. When I mean gloomy, I mean that he thought and said he was going to bring his own life to an end. He was a very lonesome and somewhat disturbed character throughout Virgina Woolf’s novel, Ms. Dalloway. But I did feel bad for him to a point. Smith was a thirty-aged man who had a pale face with hazel eyes, a beak nose and he wore brown shoes with a shabby overcoat. What was generally thought of going through his mind since the war was “the gradual drawing together[ness] of everything to one centre before his eyes, as if some horror had come almost to the surface and was about to burst into flames, [which] terrified him” (Woolf 15). Basically, he was stuggling from post-traumatic stress. I really felt bad for Septimus’s wife throughout the story as well. His wife of about 5 years Lucrezia, was a twenty-four old Italian woman who sometimes felt tarpped or embarrassed of Septimus’s behavior for where she always thought “people” were staring or watching. Even when Septimus says, “I will kill myself,” Lucrezia sometimes wished she could cry out or scream for help. She could no longer take how he made “everything terrible; sky and tree, children playing, dragging carts, blowing whistles, falling down; all were terrible” (Woolf 22). She felt that this was not a marriage for he would tell her to write about the war, Shakespeare, great discoveries and even about how Evans came in “singing” when she heard nothing.  He really never took notice or acknowledged anything anymore. Not even when Reiza wore her lace collar or her brand new hat she purchased. Septimus’s life was basically “happy” or stale as I would say without his wife’s presence around him. Reiza basically called him a selfish human being. But, in Septimus’s head, he thought he could hear, “the whole world clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes” (Woolf 90). It was amazing how Dr. Holmes was so intrigued by Septimus behavior that he wanted to help this poor soul. Unfortunatley, Septimus “was quite alone, condemned, [and] deserted as those who are about to die are alone” (90). When Septimus took his life, not even Dr. Holmes could figure out why he did it.