Power struggles in The Hours and Mrs Dalloway

In The Hours, Virginia Woolf begins her day by making the decision not to have a proper breakfast. The decision to skip breakfast is made so tha

Clarissa and Richard’s strained physical relationship is also what possibly causes Clarissa to look back fondly on her shared kiss with her friend Sally Seton. This musing over their kiss brings Clarissa’s sexuality to light. Because her physical relationship with Richard is virtually non-existent, Clarissa appears almost asexual. When she thinks about Sally, her sexuality is revealed, or brought back into play. In this sense, she has succeeded in a gender struggle. She has been successful in defining her sexuality.

“What is wrong with her? She loves Richard, she thinks of him constantly” (Cunningham, 1999:11).

t she can begin work on the book she is writing, namely, Mrs Dalloway. Her husband, Leonard, attempts to enforce a suitable breakfast upon her, but she refuses. She goes on to start work on her book, while he resumes reading proofs in the printing room. Virginia moves into her study and notes that it is in here that she feels safe. Virginia goes on to note that she must retain her weight of nine and a half stone, then, she believes that Leonard can be persuaded to move back to London. Already, one is given a clue that all is not right, that Virginia is not happy. She appears merely to be doing things for her husband and not for herself. However, by doing things for her husband, she is indirectly doing things for herself. She notes that if she retains her weight, then there is a higher chance of her and Leonard moving back to London, which is what she wants.

When Virginia’s sister comes to visit, the two of them share a kiss that could be seen as being one of a homosexual nature. Virginia describes the kiss as “one of the most delicious and forbidden of pleasures.” This kiss seems to highlight Virginia’s despair and depression. She longs for her life in London and she longs for what her sister has. The kiss that she shares with her could be seen as a way for Virginia to reconnect with her sister and in this sense, reconnect with London and all that she is missing. The fact that Virginia and Leonard do not express their love for each other may also be responsible for Virginia finding the kiss with her sister delicious and forbidden. Virginia feels despair at not being shown love and the kiss with Vanessa could be a way of proving to her that she is in fact capable of loving, even if she finds it difficult to show it. The kiss, which comes about possibly from a feeling of isolation, represents a gender struggle in the sense that she is fighting with her own sexuality. She shares no physical love with Leonard and as a result of this, is craving some act of physical love, even if it is just a kiss from her own sister. This could be the reason why Virginia finds this kiss so special.

Some topics in this essay:
Laura Brown, Virginia Woolf, Richie Latch, Clarissa Clarissa, Marjorie Leonard, Whenever Clarissa, London Leonard, Virginia Leonard, Clarissa Vaughan, Motel Laura, feelings inadequacy, power struggle, laura feels, power struggles, gender struggle, clarissa dalloway, septimus warren smith, move london, laura brown, comes conclusion, london leonard, laura’s feelings inadequacy, character clarissa dalloway, gender power struggles, london leonard realises,