"Beauty, the world seemed to say..." (Mrs Dalloway)

"Beauty, the world seemed to say. And as if to prove it (scientifically) wherever he looked at the houses, at the railings, at the antelopes stretching over the palings, beauty sprang instantly. To watch a leaf quivering in the rush of air was an exquisite joy. Up in the sky swallows swooping, swerving, flinging themselves in and out, round and round, yet always with perfect control as if elastics held them; and the flies rising and falling; and the sun spotting now this leaf, now that, in mockery, dazzling it with soft gold in pure good temper; and now again some chime (it might be a motor horn) tinkling divinely on the grass stalks—all of this, calm and reasonable as it was, made out of ordinary things as it was, was the truth now; beauty, that was the truth now. Beauty was everywhere.” - Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf

This is a long one, so let's get stuck in! Septimus Warren Smith, a veteran of World War 1, marvels at the beauty of nature.

The craftmanship of this quote begins with the emphatic positioning of the noun "beauty". Woolf doesn't write: "The world seemed to say beauty", but rather "Beauty, the world seemed to say". The sentence makes sense grammatically both ways, but the second way brings attention to the subject of the paragraph, as "Beauty" is the first word we read.

Next, Woolf uses emphatic positioning again in the addition of parentheses around the word "scientifically". Although parentheses are traditionally used for "by the way" information, here they undeniably draw the eye. Woolf clarifies that the proof of the world's beauty will be "scientific", perhaps as opposed to philosophic, or subjective.

This is immediately juxtaposed with a very subjective (but not necessarily wrong) view of the world - to watch a leaf is an "exquisite joy", the chime is "divine", it was all "calm and reasonable", beauty "was the truth now". Almost every statement follows the scientific "cause and effect" principle, and stays within a sensible listing structure, but the "effects" are subjective. Woolf's introduction of this contradiction establishes the truth - beauty is both scientific and philosophic and subjective.

But why make this point through a contradiction, rather than just saying it as it is? Perhaps it is a characterisation of British society needing to have things "in order". Indeed, post-World War 1, all Britain wanted to do was move on, repair, advance. After a turbulent period, many people find it helpful to cling to some semblance of order. The paragraph ends with two repetitious statements, including a temporal aspect and affirming the conclusion Septimus comes to - as though saying "all is well now; all is well."

But Septimus cannot move on without addressing his mental state. Unfortunately, during Woolf's time, PTSD (or "shell shock" as it was known then), was both not understood and not accepted in British society, making it impossible for Septimus to have the healing he needs. Throughout the novel, Septimus is treated as an "other" - his wife even attempts to forcefully conceal his behaviour from the public eye.

Septimus here turns himself outwards, and appreciates the world with startling clarity. Leaves don't move, they "quiver". Swallows are more than birds, they are personalities, "flinging themselves in and out" with "perfect control"*. The sibilance of "up in the sky swallows swooping, swerving" adds to the vivid nature of the description, as it generates in the reader's mind the onomatopoeic "swoosh" of birds flying. A "chime" isn't just heard, it doesn't just sound, but it interacts with the physical landscape, "tinkling divinely on the grass stalks". Throughout, the personification of antelopes, leaves, swallows, flies, the sun, and "some chime" synthesises to create a sense of a living, breathing,intertwining landscape (no doubt the flies will soon meet the swallows**).

This is not the only time Septimus recognises the wonder of nature in the book. With every instance, Woolf heightens the contradiction between being able to see the natural world startlingly clearly, as is emphasised by the vivid and sensory language discussed above, and the struggle Septimus faces to break out of his internal world.

While not necessarily Woolf's intention, many readers can strongly connect to Septimus' inner (and outer) isolation, and the reading of the novel can be a very cathartic experience due to the frustration this isolation can generate. Septimus' appreciation of nature is an inspiring one, as spending time in nature can be incredibly helpful for mental health issues (but by no means a "cure").

If you have been affected by any of the content discussed in this blog post, please visit the NHS website and/or the Samaritans for mental health resources.

*perhaps a representation of World War 1 pilots?

**the opposition?

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