Mrs. Dalloway - Section 18

Known as one of Virginia Woolf's greatest works, Mrs. Dalloway is a bright, picturesque look at the simple life of an upper-class woman in London. Clarissa Dalloway is busy planning a party when her old suitor, Peter Walsh, shows up at her hour. On the outside, Mrs. Dalloway is seen to be society's perfect image of a housewife-dutiful, loyal, and sensible. But as soon as her past lover makes his appearance, Mrs. Dalloway can't help but remember their passionate affairs. She is faced with her choices, all of which strike a fear of growing old within her. These characters and their stories, rich with emotions, the weight of decision-making, and the repercussions we all must face, bend and shape society's sense of what it means to live an ordinary life. With Woolf's empathetic writing and her understanding of how complex human relationships are, Mrs. Dalloway turns from a single day in the life of a proper housewife into a beautiful love story that will leave readers breathless.