How does perspective change the way the reader views characters in Mrs. Dalloway

    In Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa is the character we see the most throughout the story. There are many depictions of her from multiple perspectives which gives the reader a completed impression of her character. similarly, Septimus is another character we see being written from multiple perspectives. Without differing perspectives, the reader would not be able to fully understand these characters. Having multiple perspectives adds to the way a character is viewed and broadens our vision/understanding of those characters. The reader is able to see more layers and depth to the character rather than just hearing about the character through the perspective of a narrator or through the perspective of that character. This is especially important when looking at Clarissa as she is an extremely layered character that you can't just write through one perspective. Conversely when looking at Peter Walsh, someone who the reader for the most part only sees through the perspective of Clarissa, may seem more one dimensional compared to Clarissa or Septimus. 

  To understand perspective in Mrs. Dalloway it is important to understand how we understand Clarissa. Clarissa has two sides to her. The first side, is the perfect hostess Mrs. Dalloway, who wears a social mask and is able to represent her husband Richard, without staining his reputation. The second side is what is underneath the mask. Whatever is underneath the mask is very complicated for the reader to understand even with all the perspectives that Woolf uses to depict Clarissa and this is because she herself (Clarissa) is still trying to figure out what is underneath the mask. The story follows a cast of characters adding to Clarissa's character where the reader is able to see different sides of her. For example when Peter Walsh talks with Clarissa about the past and how they were such young scholars and she feels nostalgic and a little bit regretful. Another example is when Miss Kilman takes Elizabeth out and we see how and what makes Clarissa jealous. There seems to be a grey area between Mrs. Dalloway and Clarissa. To be Mrs. Dalloway Clarissa needs Richard, whom seems to only use Clarissa whenever he needs to throw a party. On the other hand to be Clarissa she would have to go back in time and stop herself from the regrets that hold her hostage. The reader understands this, and is able to even infer with more progression in the story/perspectives that Clarissa does not fully know who she is. Because of the added perspectives we get to view Clarissa differently and see her in 3d rather than 2d. Without these perspectives Clarissa may seem like any normal person or character in a book, however with the Georgian style writing that Woolf uses the reader is apprehend the different sides of Clarissa Dalloway.

    Woolf also takes perspectives in writing to the other side of the spectrum. The best example for this is Septimus. Septimus has PTSD/shellshock and at the time doctors refuse to acknowledge its existence. Woolf writes about the struggles dealing with shellshock through Septimus however the reader would not be able to comprehend his side of the disorder without adding the additional perspectives. From his time in the war, Septimus has grown to condemn human nature. Septimus condemns the doctors that look to help him. To Septimus he believes that living in this world with nature and the way that the war was able to take place, is a sin and he has grown to despise the life he is in. This is why he seems to reject any treatment that the doctors look to give him and why he almost at times feels threatened by them. Woolf also gives us what Septimus was like before the war and his trauma. It's important to understand from a storytelling perspective too, that Septimus was not always like this. Without the additional perspectives, Septimus may seem pretty one sided, and a unimportant character, however with the Georgian style writing which focuses more on characters as plot, Septimus is extremely well developed similar to Clarissa and it would not be possible without the inclusion of these different perspectives. 

    In conclusion Woolf uses Georgian style writing to fully develop characters in her story. Clarissa Dalloway is an extremely complex character and to understand her she must be viewed through multiple perspectives in order to get a good blueprint of what she is like as a character. From the different personas she has to the past regrets and nostalgia she feels when seeing Peter, these layers could not be viewed without the different angles we see her throughout the book. On the other hand Septimus Smith is extremely well written in the sense of understanding the struggles a war veteran would have from serving in the early 20th century. Understanding what Septimus was like before the war, to his time after the war with Rezia, Septimus is extremely developed because we get to see what it's like living through his perspective and Rezia's.