Purpose
The three main purposes of these maps are to:
Location is central to the structure of Mrs. Dalloway, so central that its influence can hardly be overstated. Geography and the limitations it imposes upon characters are what shape the stream of consciousness flow of the novel and allow the intense focus on thought. Our maps display and clarify the import of this essential geography while also serving as an aptly organized body of analysis of the text itself.
The primary importance of location in this novel can be summed up rather simply. As our maps illustrate, the settings of the various scenes of the novel are actually rather far apart. These distances are especially significant when one considers that the characters must walk from one point to the next. They necessitate prolonged periods of travel, which ultimately shape the flow and structuring of the novel.
For one, the extended portions of the day during which characters are doing nothing but walking – and thinking – are what provide scenarios for the novel's characteristic stream of consciousness style. In this sense, these characters almost seem to be precursors of the modern flâneur*. Although less observant of their surroundings than the prototypical flâneur, the characters of Mrs. Dalloway have walking scenes for a similar reason – they allow a focus on thought process that is difficult in an action-filled scene. This focus on thought, in turn, permits the stream of consciousness style. The setting enables all of this.
Moreover, these prolonged walking scenes create a unique structure for the novel. The novel is essentially a stream of thought interrupted by scenes of action and character interaction, which catalyze more thought. In this way, its structure is much like that of a bead necklace. Each event can be represented by a bead and the intermissions between action represented by the string between beads. Each bead of a story, in turn, is associated with a particular location, as can be visualized by the pins on our maps. Meanwhile, the walking scenes and threads of thought that connect events are associated with particular paths between pins. Our maps perfectly capture this visualization of the novel, which helps readers grasp the novel’s flow.
This symbolic bead necklace embodied in the maps also serves as an excellent template for analysis. Each pinned event includes a catalog of the associated character interactions and an analysis of the thoughts in each. This allows for a well-organized and easy-to-follow collection of analyses that make the novel easier to understand. Although the thoughts that connect scenes are not given their own sections, they are discussed with the events to which they are most related. The sections of analysis also highlight how the interactions between characters influence their thoughts and actions later on. In fact, the map as a whole, with its intersecting paths, does a good job of embodying the interactions and connectedness between characters.
*The flâneur is a character archetype characterized by people who walk around a city observing it.
- demonstrate the incredible influence of geography on the structure and flow of the novel
- provide a perfectly parallel visualization of said structure as well as the character interactions
- serve as an organizational reference for collections of analysis of the events of the novel
Location is central to the structure of Mrs. Dalloway, so central that its influence can hardly be overstated. Geography and the limitations it imposes upon characters are what shape the stream of consciousness flow of the novel and allow the intense focus on thought. Our maps display and clarify the import of this essential geography while also serving as an aptly organized body of analysis of the text itself.
The primary importance of location in this novel can be summed up rather simply. As our maps illustrate, the settings of the various scenes of the novel are actually rather far apart. These distances are especially significant when one considers that the characters must walk from one point to the next. They necessitate prolonged periods of travel, which ultimately shape the flow and structuring of the novel.
For one, the extended portions of the day during which characters are doing nothing but walking – and thinking – are what provide scenarios for the novel's characteristic stream of consciousness style. In this sense, these characters almost seem to be precursors of the modern flâneur*. Although less observant of their surroundings than the prototypical flâneur, the characters of Mrs. Dalloway have walking scenes for a similar reason – they allow a focus on thought process that is difficult in an action-filled scene. This focus on thought, in turn, permits the stream of consciousness style. The setting enables all of this.
Moreover, these prolonged walking scenes create a unique structure for the novel. The novel is essentially a stream of thought interrupted by scenes of action and character interaction, which catalyze more thought. In this way, its structure is much like that of a bead necklace. Each event can be represented by a bead and the intermissions between action represented by the string between beads. Each bead of a story, in turn, is associated with a particular location, as can be visualized by the pins on our maps. Meanwhile, the walking scenes and threads of thought that connect events are associated with particular paths between pins. Our maps perfectly capture this visualization of the novel, which helps readers grasp the novel’s flow.
This symbolic bead necklace embodied in the maps also serves as an excellent template for analysis. Each pinned event includes a catalog of the associated character interactions and an analysis of the thoughts in each. This allows for a well-organized and easy-to-follow collection of analyses that make the novel easier to understand. Although the thoughts that connect scenes are not given their own sections, they are discussed with the events to which they are most related. The sections of analysis also highlight how the interactions between characters influence their thoughts and actions later on. In fact, the map as a whole, with its intersecting paths, does a good job of embodying the interactions and connectedness between characters.
*The flâneur is a character archetype characterized by people who walk around a city observing it.
