Clarissa’s Marriage Choice in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway: Why Clarissa Chooses Richard over Peter Walsh
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Understanding Clarissa’s Marriage Choice in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway In Virginia Woolf ’s novel Mrs. Dalloway (1925), the heroine Clarissa Dalloway often reflects on her youth and the choices she made. One of the most important is Clarissa’s marriage choice : she marries Richard Dalloway instead of her former love, Peter Walsh . This decision colors her thoughts and feelings throughout the story. It is often considered that Clarissa “sacrificed passion for the security and tranquility of an upper-class life ” by marrying Richard. Richard himself later thinks Clarissa was right – she needed the support and stability that Peter could not give. Clarissa Dalloway’s inner thoughts and memories in Mrs. Dalloway . Clarissa’s decision is rooted in both personal and social factors. Although Clarissa is content, she “never lets go of the doubt” about marrying Richard instead of Peter . She understands life with Peter would have been hard, but she also recognizes that choosing Richard m...
