The Role of Peter Walsh in Mrs. Dalloway
Peter Walsh is personally my favorite character in Mrs. Dalloway. I like him in the story because he is so different from most of the other characters. His presence is a sort of relief from the topics that the other British upper class like discussing in this book. I also like Peter as a sort of “what if?” because if Peter had been able to marry Clarissa, this book would have been much different. When Peter returns from India, he brings out thoughts within Clarissa that I find extremely interesting. Clarissa starts thinking about her decision to marry Richard, but also thinks about how she has never been able to talk politics with anyone else because of her role as Richard's wife. Clarissa shares this early in the novel where she says that she wishes she was “interested in politics like a man” (Woolf 10). The way that she says this clearly portrays that since she is a woman it is simply not in her role to be interested in politics. Exceptions exist in the book, specifically Lady Bruton. Richard has lunch with Lady Bruton, and Clarissa is jealous that she is not invited to go. Clarissa would have likely been much more politically free if she had married Peter and she knows this.
Peter seems to be one of the most influential characters in Mrs. Dalloway, despite spending a lot of time in India before his return. Peter’s return is a lot of the talk amongst the other characters. Most of the characters admire Peter, even considering how critical he is of their way of life. One thing that fascinates me is how much Richard likes Peter considering that Peter loved/loves? Clarissa. I wonder if many of the other characters in the book wish that they were like Peter, but are too stuck in their roles in society to admit it. Peter shows up to Clarissa’s residence unannounced and he seemingly just knows that she will be happy to see him. Peter is clearly nervous during this discussion because he is constantly playing with his pocket knife which is seemingly a subconscious habit of his. During this interaction between Peter and Clarissa, Peter states that he is in love and it seems for a split second that Clarissa believes that he is in love with her even though it would make no sense for him to be in love with her after being in India for so long. This shows how much Clarissa still wonders about what could have happened if she married Peter. It is very surprising to me that when Richard comes home he is happy to hear all of this news even though Peter had spent the lunch hour with Clarissa alone.
Multiple times in class discussion, we brought up the quote where Clarissa reflects on being called the perfect hostess by Peter. This clearly upsets Clarissa as she thinks “How he scolded her! How they argued! She would marry a Prime Minister and stand at the top of a staircase; the perfect hostess he called her (she had cried over it in her bedroom), she had the makings of the perfect hostess he said.” (Woolf 7) While Clarissa is thinking of this, she is in the process of preparing to be the “perfect hostess” as she is shopping for her party. These remarks stick with Clarissa for many years and she doesn't seem to want to be identified as “the perfect hostess.” Before the party begins, Clarissa thinks again about the comments from Peter, but this time it is worse because she knows that if Peter comes to the party he will see her at the top of the stairs literally being the perfect hostess. Peter has a sense of brutal honesty about his remarks that makes him such an interesting character, and I think that he really elevates Mrs. Dalloway as a whole.
Peter seems to be one of the most influential characters in Mrs. Dalloway, despite spending a lot of time in India before his return. Peter’s return is a lot of the talk amongst the other characters. Most of the characters admire Peter, even considering how critical he is of their way of life. One thing that fascinates me is how much Richard likes Peter considering that Peter loved/loves? Clarissa. I wonder if many of the other characters in the book wish that they were like Peter, but are too stuck in their roles in society to admit it. Peter shows up to Clarissa’s residence unannounced and he seemingly just knows that she will be happy to see him. Peter is clearly nervous during this discussion because he is constantly playing with his pocket knife which is seemingly a subconscious habit of his. During this interaction between Peter and Clarissa, Peter states that he is in love and it seems for a split second that Clarissa believes that he is in love with her even though it would make no sense for him to be in love with her after being in India for so long. This shows how much Clarissa still wonders about what could have happened if she married Peter. It is very surprising to me that when Richard comes home he is happy to hear all of this news even though Peter had spent the lunch hour with Clarissa alone.
Multiple times in class discussion, we brought up the quote where Clarissa reflects on being called the perfect hostess by Peter. This clearly upsets Clarissa as she thinks “How he scolded her! How they argued! She would marry a Prime Minister and stand at the top of a staircase; the perfect hostess he called her (she had cried over it in her bedroom), she had the makings of the perfect hostess he said.” (Woolf 7) While Clarissa is thinking of this, she is in the process of preparing to be the “perfect hostess” as she is shopping for her party. These remarks stick with Clarissa for many years and she doesn't seem to want to be identified as “the perfect hostess.” Before the party begins, Clarissa thinks again about the comments from Peter, but this time it is worse because she knows that if Peter comes to the party he will see her at the top of the stairs literally being the perfect hostess. Peter has a sense of brutal honesty about his remarks that makes him such an interesting character, and I think that he really elevates Mrs. Dalloway as a whole.
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. Annotated by Bonnie Kime Scott, Harcourt, 2005.
Hi Lbcubs100, this was a great read! I think it's not super surprising that Richard still likes Peter as a person despite his history with Clarissa. You already say: many of the other characters in the book wish that they were like Peter. Maybe Richard also admires Peter for this same reason, which is why he isn't so harsh on him.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Peter is one of the most interesting characters in the novel. His relationship with Clarissa and also with Sally is so complex and layered. I tend to think Peter is fairly unhappy in his life and in a way envies the other characters and how they have all settled down. However, you bring up an interesting point that the other characters might also envy him and his seemingly glorious life traveling around India. It reminds me of the saying that the grass is always greener on the other side. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI feel like as I am reading through these blogs my opinion of Peter Walsh continuously evolves as everyone seems to have something to say about him. I agree with you in that Peter Walsh is a great character and honestly he is probably my favorite character in the whole book because even though we only really get one good look through his eyes, our knowledge of his character is constantly expanding as we hear other characters opinions of him. I had never thought about how Clarissa's political freedom may have hinged upon whom she married although once you pointed it out I can definitely see it as a plausible factor. Good job.
ReplyDeleteI really like your point about how Peter represents a “what if” in Clarissa’s life. I also found it interesting how Peter’s criticism of Clarissa becoming the “perfect hostess” stays with her for so many years, especially since she ends up fulfilling that exact role. I think Peter’s return forces Clarissa to reflect on whether she is truly satisfied with the choices she has made. In the end it just sort of cuts off the romantic ending that I feel everybody wanted to see unfold. Do you think Clarissa actually regrets choosing Richard over Peter, or is she just curious about how different her life could have been?
ReplyDeleteIt's not just a hypothetical worry, that Peter might see her in her "perfect hostess" role. She invites him to the party, and indeed he stands there watching her greeting guests and thinking what a phony she is. Her nightmare comes true! You make good points about Peter's role as an outsider to this upper-class British society, and how this gives him a kind of critical perspective that is valuable (he exists at the party mainly to smirk at its excesses). But as to whether anyone else in the novel envies him because of his more "free" life, I don't see much evidence for this. Richard thinks Peter is a fine fellow, and they go way back, and he also seems unaware of what Peter actually thought of him back in the Bourton days. But he also kind of pities Peter, wants to help him out with a job maybe, but in no sense does Richard seem to wish he could have a life that's more like Peter's. Rather than seeming free and independent, he seems messy and full of drama. Most intriguingly, Peter is fully aware that this is how he is viewed by his old friends. He sort of resents it, but there's nothing he can do about it--and he, too, admits that Richard is really a decent sort, after all. All these guys LIKE each other more than we'd expect!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Lucas! I really enjoyed reading your in depth analysis about Peter's role in the book. I agree about the part about peter bringing an outsider perspective on the character in the book. Even though he can be very honest and ctitical about some of the other characters like Clarissa, this adds a facinating component to the book and a fun character to analyze. Overall, great insight!
ReplyDeleteHi Lucas, I like how you frame him as the what if for Clarissa and the quote of her as the perfect hostess if really fitting. I did find it really ironic that she hates being a perfect hostess while she preparing to host a party. Nice blog!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really unique blog post. Peter really is this free soul in contrast to the wealthier people stuck in their societal roles. I hadn’t thought of the possibility that people might be jealous of his freedom, but I think that generally, based on what we read about various people thinking about Peter, they generally see him as someone who needs to get his act together and a mess. But I also liked Peter Walsh for not being a people pleaser and just being himself regardless of what others thought. Really interesting post!
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