None But the Lonely

"She had a perpetual sense, as she watched the taxi cabs, of being out, out, far out to sea and alone; she always had the feeling that it was very, very dangerous to live even one day."

Michael Cunningham may be a genius.

Those who studied Modern literature would quote lines from "Mrs. Dalloway" (1925). Critics considered it as one of Virginia Woolf's best works. It was notable for a particular kind of storytelling (the stream-of-consciousness narrative), a tracking of momentary thoughts of a particular character. In this case, it would be Clarissa Dalloway. It recounted the happpenings during a particular day, culminating to a party. She was the host, and she was looking forward to this event. But her friends were nowhere to be found. She was fifty two years of age.

You don't need to knowledgeable in Modern literature in able to understand "Mrs. Dalloway". (A second reading is recommended, though.) She was married to Richard Halloway, who was more immersed in his work in the government. It happened that one of the guests (in her party) was Peter Walsh. She turned down his marriage proposal. After hearing his experience in India, she wondered if Richard was the right man for her. She felt lonely all of the sudden.

Make it three

“The Hours” (1999) was about three women and how “Mrs. Dalloway” affected them. Virginia Woolf was one of the women. She thought that the mind was playing tricks. She couldn't bear it. (Woolf, who would mark her 132nd year on January 25, took her own life.) The other woman was Mrs. Brown, who was reading the novel in between preparation for her husband's birthday party. It was the post-World War II era. The third woman was Clarissa Vaughan, who was planning to celebrate a literary award received by her former lover. He was suffering from an AIDS-related illness.

What Mrs. Brown and Clarissa Vaughan were experiencing would be no different from Mrs. Dalloway. They were aware of their prominent place in society. (In Clarissa Dalloway's case, there was nothing better than mingling with the who's who of society during an evening.) They were middle-aged people. They were uncertain of the coming years. In the case of Mrs. Dalloway (and Mrs. Brown), the war was still fresh in the minds of the people. They may not have been able to put it behind. They may also wondered if they were able to fulfill their ambition (when they were young). In Woolf's case, she was battling her literary demons. Some may compared it to Vaughan's case, as HIV afflicted millions.

Cunningham depicted the themes of “Mrs. Dalloway” as universal. Is there such a thing as happiness? In Virginia Woolf's letter to Leonard Woolf, her husband, the author confessed how her consciousness prompted her to go to River Ouse. Some would be confused, as marriage provides emotional support. But the mind of a (lonely) artist is hard to understand.