Stylistic Differences

After finishing reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf and Emma by Jane Austen, I noticed a few major differences between the novels.  First and foremost among these differences was the style of the two authors: Austen was more direct, while Woolf left more up to the reader.  A second difference was what I expected from the novel as reader; Emma read quite easily, whereas Mrs. Dalloway more difficult and less predictable.
    The style that Emma was written was incredibly straightforward.  Physical descriptions of the characters were given to the reader the first time a character was introduced, describing as much as was necessary to envision the character.  The novel opens with, “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with…” telling the reader exactly what they need to know.  Character’s personalities are described similarly, often shortly within describing their physical attributes.  Emma’s cleverness, her most distinguishing personality trait, is given in the opening sentence.  This direct style lays out every thing the reader needs to know about the characters  and leaves very little to the imagination.  Compare this to Mrs. Dalloway, where very little information regarding the character’s attributes is given up front, if at all.  When the information is given to the reader, it is given a small piece at a time, forcing the reader to gradually draw conclusions about the characters.  Rather than define the characters immediately, Woolf allows the reader to draw their own conclusions about the characters as more and more information is given.  This difference in styles is huge and also contributes to the way the novels are read and what can be expected from them.
    Much like the direct writing style Emma was written with, reading it is straightforward as well.  The novel goes through events chronologically and also describes the significance of the events.  When attending a trip to Box Hill, Emma accidentally offends one of her friends.  Mr. Knightley, a prominent figure, scolds Emma for doing so and tells her the extent of her offense.  Once again, this leaves very little up to the reader to discern for themselves.  Furthermore, this directness leads the novel into predictable paths.  After Mr. Knightley scolds Emma, he tells her to try to apologize for her comment.  Because the reader knows Emma respects Mr. Knightley, she will take his advice.  A few pages later, her apology is happening in the novel, just as expected.  Mrs. Dalloway, on the other hand, has a far more complex story line.  The novel often shifts perspectives, where neighboring paragraphs have a different point of view.  This results in forcing the reader to keep track of a multitude of characters and perspectives.  Also due to this shift in perspective, the reader has less of an idea of what to expect.  Nearly anything, within reason, could happen next in the novel.  Not knowing who was going to be the next focus, and sometimes having multiple views of the same situation, led to a much more complex and intellectually stimulating read.
    The directness of Emma makes it a simple, yet enjoyable read.  Mrs. Dalloway was far more difficult, but forced the reader to think more.  While both are enjoyable, it comes down to whether or not you enjoy the style.

Eric Carl

Conventions in Emma and Mrs. Dalloway

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a convention as “usage or custom especially
in social matters or a rule of conduct or behavior.” In Jane Austen’s Emma and Virginia
Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, conventions have numerous uses. Conventions suppressed
personal desires, allowed people to communicate without conflict, kept lives running
smoothly, and governed social affairs.

Conventions suppressed personal feelings. As Clarissa Dalloway greeted the people
who came to her party at her own personal space, she said “how delightful to see you!”
(Woolf 163) to each person. Clarissa didn’t articulate how she actually felt about each
person who came to her party; however, she was “effusive” and “insincere” (Woolf 163)
just to conform to the conventions of the era. Clarissa Dalloway utilized conventions and
suppressed her own feelings simply to keep her guests comfortable at her party.

Conventions kept life running smoothly. Although Clarissa Dalloway, in Mrs. Dalloway,
was in love with Peter Walsh as a young adult, she married Richard Dalloway just
to conform to the conventions and expectations of her peers. Clarissa Dalloway was
expected to marry a person similar to Richard Dalloway, and she couldn’t fulfill her
relationship with Peter Walsh because of conventions. Conventions caused Clarissa
Dalloway to chose social status over love, and those conventions virtually changed her
entire life.

Conventions governed social affairs in the 1800’s and in the 1900’s. In Emma, Emma
Woodhouse threw a party for Mr. Elton’s new wife. The party continued according to
the social conventions of the 1800’s; the party began with a dinner, and concluded with
the men and women parting to separate rooms. Since social conventions were followed
almost to a tee, the party ran smoothly. Additionally, in Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa’s party
began with the “ladies… going up one by one.” (Woolf 161) Since the party started off
following the social conventions of the time, conflicts were avoided at the beginning of
the gathering. The people who lived in both these generations relied on conventions to
have successful parties.

Conventions were so important in the 19th and 20th centuries because when a person
disregarded conventions and expressed their real feelings, conflicts were created. In
Emma, Emma Woodhouse breached conventions and expressed how she really felt
toward Miss. Bates, saying “Ah! ma’am, but there may be a difficulty. Pardon me, but
you will be limited as to number—only three at once.” (Austen 301) Emma insulted
Miss Bates, and disrupted the informal social gathering she was participating in. This
passage in Emma illustrated how important conventions were to the people in this
time period. Likewise, when conventions were disregarded, conflict between people
occurred. There were certain safe topics that people could talk about in conversations.
At Clarissa Dalloway’s party, the majority of her guests adhered to the conventions,
except for two men who quarreled. These two men didn’t use the conventions, and it
lead to a conflict at the party. The proper use of conventions generally kept conflicts
away.

The character’s actions in Emma and Mrs. Dalloway demonstrated how necessary
conventions were in the time periods the novels were set in. Without the conventions,
conflicts occurred; however, when characters used the conventions, life ran in a way
that the characters were accustomed to and expected.

Andrew Corbitt


Austen, Jane. Emma. New York: Penguin. 1815. Woolf, Virginia.
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. 1925.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Web.

Conventions dealing with Space in Emma and Mrs. Dalloway

As a woman, there are only a few spaces that I cannot enter – the men’s bathroom, for example. As a twenty year old, the only spaces I am not ‘legally’ allowed to occupy are the ones where a person must be twenty-one or older – a liquor store, for example. Otherwise the world is an endless source of opportunity, waiting for me to explore all of its diverse spaces. However, it has not always been this way – especially for women. There was a time, not too long ago, where spaces were regulated. These regulations did not necessarily derive from a government act. A majority of them were conventions developed over time in a particular society/culture. In Jane Austen’s Emma and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, we catch a brief glimpse of how these conventions regulated society and influenced the people in that society.

It is perfectly normal in today’s modern world for a woman to come and go as she pleases. However for the women in Jane Austen’s novels, there were different societal rules a woman of class had to follow. At one incident in the novel after the party at Mr. and Mrs. Weston’s, Emma finds herself in a somewhat “awkward” situation. It has just begun to snow, and Mr. Woodhouse is quite impatient to get home before the snow worsens. In all the hustle and bustle, Emma and Mr. Elton are forced to share a carriage. Austen describes how the door is “lawfully” shut. The use of the world “lawfully” seems to indicate that Emma is totally aware of the precarious situation she is in. No one had noticed that she was alone in the carriage with a man she is not related to (also without a female chaperon). So if she were to make a fuss about it now, then that would draw unnecessary attention to the situation. Mr. Elton and Emma have just broken a cardinal rule! A woman and a man, who are not married, are never allowed to be together alone. It would ruin Emma’s reputation.

Another example we can draw from Emma is when she goes to drop off Harriet at the Martin’s farm. As well as having conventions that regulate interactions between the opposite sexes, there are also certain conventions that apply to the mixing/socializing of the social classes. We can see this particularly well as Emma attempts to convince Harriet that marrying Martin would not be beneficial, “It would have grieved me to lose your [Harriet’s] acquaintance, which must have been the consequence of your marrying Mr. Martin.”  Martin comes from the working class, and Emma would find it improper to have associations with anyone even acquainted with the Martin family.

On the other hand in novels such as Mrs. Dalloway the conventions that ruled Emma’s social life have been altered or totally forgotten all together. The first encounter we have with Mrs. Dalloway is of her walking by herself to a flower shop. At the very beginning of the novel one of the most important rules of Emma’s society has already been broken. Another example of the differences between Emma and Mrs. Dalloway is that when Peter Walsh comes to visit Clarissa, he rushes up to her bedroom and talks with her as she mends her dress! This event alone describes how flexible the social conventions of Mrs. Dalloway’s time period have become. There seems to be almost no space that is off limits. At the same time Clarissa lives in Westminster. This is an area near London that is generally reserved for the upper middle class, upper class, and royalty. Even though spaces no longer restrict communication between men and women, they certainly do restrict the interaction between social classes.

Even though the above comparisons between the modern world and two variations of older generations are really only applicable to western society, they are still relevant and accurate descriptions of how our society has changed over time. It is interesting to reflect on how much society and its conventions about space have altered. 

-Katherina Delgado

Austen, Jane. Emma. 2009. Public Domain Books. Ebook. 

Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. 1925. Mariner Books. Print. 

Online Learning

Technology has allowed people to communicate effectively over great distances.  First there was the telegraph, and then the telephone, and now the internet helps fill that role.  With new innovations in the internet, such as voice and video chats and instant messaging, events such as conferences can take place online, even when the parties are separated by countries.  This allows for these events to take place in an online environment, which gives them a distinct feel that does not happen when they occur in person.  However, they still have merit for the advantages they provide in time saving, while the only disadvantages are usability which will affect everyone differently.
The advantages that online communication provide are quite extensive.  Being able to still have English class even though the professor was not at the school is one of those advantages.  It should be noted that this class period was held in a chat room, so it was a large group instant messaging, rather than a video conference.  Instead of losing the class period, it allowed us to go over some housekeeping things.  While this was not necessarily the best use of that time, the discussion we had in class was necessary and made it so that time was not wasted entirely.  One incredibly useful aspect of the online class was that we were able to break into small groups much more effectively.  Rather than being given a portion of the room, each group was given an entire “room” that only they were in.  This was much more effective than a divided room for the simple fact that there were no people to distract us.  However, the online class room was no substitute for the real thing.
While the online class did allow us to make use of an otherwise useless time period, it still had a fair share of problems.  Typing to chat is not nearly as fast or efficient as speaking, and tone is far more difficult to interpret.  Furthermore, I did not feel as attentive in the online class as a real classroom.  While this could be for any number of reasons, the most likely one is that it was not done via video.  The reason why I feel this way is because I didn’t have an image to accompany the text.  In other words, even though we were being “talked” to, it was not nearly as effective as having a person to talk to because many of the things that accompany speech, such as tone or facial expressions, are unable to be expressed without video.  While this was not very problematic for the class I was in, it did make the class period boring.
All in all, an online classroom experience seems to have a lot of potential.  It would allow people to participate from nearly anywhere while having basically the same experience.  Unfortunately, for many online learning programs, that potential has not been fully realized.  Making the experience textual rather than verbal prevents it from being as fluid as a normal class room, and even then it may still not be perfect.  Working out these kinks would allow for a classroom experience, without the classroom.

Eric Carl

Mrs. Dalloway: Cubism in Words

When Virginia Woolf first published her renowned novel, Mrs. Dalloway, in 1925, Cubism was slowly fading out and a new cultural movement was being ushered in. Even with Cubism’s slow fade out, it is still clear to see the strong impact it had on writers such as Woolf. Mrs. Dalloway is a prime example of how writers of the early 20^th century attempted to translate artistic movements into their literary pieces.

 When one observes a Picasso cubism painting, such as Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, the feeling that his art first evokes may be confusion. However after careful observation and study, one is only filled with awe and amazement at how Picasso could have drawn something so unique! These same feelings are observed after reading Mrs. Dalloway. Woolf’s novel expertly executes a perfect translation of Cubism from the canvas to the page. Cubism was a literary movement that gained popularity before the First World War and continued in popularity until the early 1920s. The Cubist cultural movement focused on depicting objects from more than one viewpoint, as seen in Picasso’s paintings. In the painting, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, you can see how Picasso has depicted each woman a little differently, as if he has drawn parts of them from different angels and in different lightings.  

Mrs. Dalloway also demonstrates this technique of depicting different angles during the display of the plane writing letters in the sky. As the plane soars through the sky, attempting to spell a word with smoke in the air, the whole city of London looks on with fascination and curiosity. They look up and attempt to decipher the message being written out. This event is described to the reader through the many eyes of a crowded London street, “The aeroplane…began writing a K, an E, a Y perhaps?” The uncertainty of the lettering is just a small example of how Woolf incorporates different point of views in her novel.

Cubism also attempts to display how relative space is by intermixing different planes of an object. This can also be seen in Mrs. Dalloway whenever Woolf quickly and without warning switches the point of view of the novel. An example of this is when the reader meets Maisie Johnson for the first time.  It is a very fast transition from Rezia, another character in the novel who is described before the sudden encounter with Maisie. It is difficult to describe this particular event without citing entire paragraphs. It is best described as if all of a sudden the point of view of the story has changed from that of Rezia to Maisie. Instead of “Rezia exclaimed”, phrases such as “Maisie thought” are being used to describe Maisie’s point of view. If the reader is not paying close attention, then it is easy to get somewhat lost and they may need to backtrack to once again figure out where they are. Another example appears directly before Maisie’s appearance. The two characters Rezia and Septimus, who are married, are sitting in the park. Their appearance begins with a brief introduction of Rezia and goes on to shortly describe why they are in the park. Then it suddenly switches to Septimus’s mad ramblings, which at the same time include Rezia’s sane observations and worries about being seen in public with a mad man. It is as if they are one person, “’Look,’ she repeated. Look the unseen bade him.” The dialogue is all said by Rezia, however in the inner dialogue/observations are described through Septimus.

One would think that a written form of cubism may be easier to interpret and understand. However Mrs. Dalloway proves to as difficult, if not more so, than Picasso’s paintings, it is clear to see what influence Cubism had on early 20^th century artists. 


-Katherina Delgado

Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. 1925. Harcourt Inc. Print
Wikipedia. Cubism. 2011. Wikipedia. Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubism. 

Perception in Mrs. Dalloway

Our perception of people is often influenced by the situation and environment in which we experience them.  I have found this to be the case both in novels I have read and from my own personal experiences.  Characters in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway represent how perception is influenced by description and appearance.  In my own experience, I have found that first impressions can be very misleading, much like perception.

Woolf's description of Peter Walsh throughout the novel often influences the readers' perception of Peter.  When the reader is first introduced to Peter, he appears to be old.  Clarissa is over fifty and since Peter loved her when they were young,  he must be a similar age.   At the park, Peter falls asleep on a bench, an action characteristic of the elderly.  However, Peter is also characterized as a gentleman who lives in India and desires to marry a young woman he met there.  As a reader, I felt as though if he felt comfortable enough to start anew in a foreign country, he must be fairly youthful and adventurous.  While Peter is at Clarissa's house, he runs up the stairs to Clarissa's room.  Running is certainly not an action an old person would partake in.   While we clearly know Peter is in his fifties, his action seem much more associated with a young person. Virginia Woolf uses environment and description to paint Peter as both an old and young man.

Woolf allows for readers to see how Clarissa Dalloway's outward appearance is significantly different than the introspective qualities of her inner self.  The novel is told through the eyes of Clarissa, and as such, readers are given access to all of her thoughts.  Outwardly, Clarissa appears composed, respectable, and happy.  She leads a successful life, is married to a government official, and lives in an affluent, upper class society.  She lives a life of leisure both attending and hosting parties.  Despite all this, the reader understands Clarissa's actual feelings through her thoughts.  Inwardly, she is concerned with her age, is reflective on her past decisions, and seeks a deeper meaning in life.  Clarissa's anxiety about her appearance is displayed by her reaction to her grey hair. While she seems confident to others in her appearance, she is inwardly concerned that her newly grey hair, due to her vague  illness, reflects her age.  Upon meeting Peter, the reader is made aware of their past relationship. She often reminisces on the choice she made to marry Richard instead of Peter.   While her outward world consists of high class parties and other social events, inwardly she contemplates her family, life, and purpose.  While her peers judge her based on her public appearance and actions,  the readers are given a much deeper perception of Clarissa Dalloway through her private thoughts.

I have experienced how perception is influenced by situations.  Upon my arrival at Georgia Tech last semester, I met my roommate for the first time.  Immediately I made judgments about his character and personality based solely on his outward appearance.  After rooming with him for the past seven months, I have found we have a great deal in common.  Despite the fact that we look different, we enjoy similar activities and get along well.   This experience has taught me, like the inferences I made while reading Mrs. Dalloway, that one's perception is easily affected and manipulated by surroundings.

Andrew Corbitt

Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. 1925. Print.

Uniqueness of Mrs. Dalloway

One of the first things that I noticed when I started reading Mrs. Dalloway was the difficulty in ascertaining exactly what was happening in the novel.  The novel relies on unconventional, and occasionally unique, styles to present the events of a day to the reader.  However, that is what sets it apart from other novels and makes it an interesting read.  While it can be difficult to read, this leads to a more entertaining read and leaves the novel open to more interpretation.

The style of the novel explores the various thoughts and ideas that the individual characters have.  What makes reading this style so difficult is that the character’s thoughts often flash back to an episode in their past, while the story continues in the present.  This leads to a muddying of the “current” events since the novel flows so freely between memories and the present.  Given the plot of the novel so far, the confusion that this creates actually makes the novel more interesting to read.  The novel maintains an air of mystery and tension that a straight forward writing lacks.  This tension, rather than being resolved quickly by the narrator, is allowed to incubate in the characters.  Furthermore, the novel presents multiple viewpoints of the same situation.  It will switch between views of the different characters in the same situation, furthering this tension by allowing the reader to see all angles and why the tension exists.  An approach that had a more static narrator would not present this tension as effectively because it would only present a portion of the tension rather than the whole situation.  Not only does this approach and style bring more in the way of tension, it also allows for more interpretation.

Due to presenting multiple viewpoints, the novel does not obviously side with any character in particular.  This leaves the majority of the decision making concerning character’s actions and personalities up to the reader.    While the novel certainly leads the reader to believe in qualities of characters, it does not pass judgment on characters and allows the reader to make the final judgment.  Since different people will react to the same situation differently, this means that there is no definite or static interpretation to the events that transpire.  These differing interpretations allow for different people to enjoy the novel, as it does not present only one perspective.  This allows more people to see it in a favorable light and not quickly dismiss it because the plot is not to their liking.

The greatest advantage of Mrs. Dalloway is that it presents the reader with a variety of viewpoints and allows the reader to interpret the story in many different ways.  The novel is the events of one day, and a more or less regular one at that.  However, with its strengths, it creates tension and drives the plot forward, while leaving interpretation of all but the facts open to the reader.  This allows what would otherwise be a bland plot with straightforward writing to be an interesting, albeit difficult, read to the average person.


Eric Carl

Time in Emma and Mrs. Dalloway

Upon my arrival to college last fall, the sounding of the Georgia Tech steam whistle has become a timepiece for me.  I always listen for the familiar sound as I walk to class throughout my day.  This is an example of public time I encounter.  Opposite to public time, there is private time that is more specific to a group of people.   Jane Austen’s Emma and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway  are examples of how these time styles are unique.  Time in Emma is linear and marked by private events while time in Mrs. Dalloway is contorted and marked by public events.

Time in Emma is linear and chronological, while the representation of time in Mrs. Dalloway is distorted, and is expanded and contracted throughout the novel. In Emma, time only travels forward. The audience experiences the character’s actions and thoughts in the present. Characters do not reminisce or relive past experiences. Since time is represented in such a chronological way, it allows the reader to have a firm grasp on what literally happened. In a way dissimilar from the way Austen represented time in Emma, Woolf manipulated the structure of time in Mrs. Dalloway. Unlike Austen, Woolf used flashbacks to reveal details about the characters in Mrs. Dalloway. Such flashbacks allowed the reader to learn about Clarissa Dalloway’s past interactions and friendship with Peter Walsh. The use of non-chronological time in Mrs. Dalloway gives the reader insight into the character’s feelings that readers do not have the ability to experience in Emma. Different representations of time in the two novels offer the reader very different experiences.

In Emma, time is mostly identified by private events, and in Mrs. Dalloway, time is mostly marked by public events. The passing of time in Emma is measured by social events, and encounters with other people. Hardly ever do the characters in Emma refer to an actual time, or make a reference to a timepiece. Readers are rarely aware of the actual time of day and are more focused on the sequence of interactions between the characters. In Mrs. Dalloway, the reader is frequently aware of time of day by the chimes of the clock tower Big Ben. Throughout the novel, Clarissa Dalloway mentioned hearing the bell, and this gives readers a sense of time. This sense of public, segmented time gives the reader a standard perspective in comparison to the rest of the novel. The fact that Emma is focused on private time corresponds with the feelings of the time it is set in, and Mrs. Dalloway centered around public time correlates with the era and the setting of the novel.

Even though time in Emma is one-directional and more natural, I feel as though I experience time in a way more similar to how it is represented in Mrs. Dalloway. The public time in Mrs. Dalloway, as shown by the chiming of Big Ben, is similar to the public time I experience at Georgia Tech. There is a whistle that sounds five minutes before the hour, and this allows me to be aware of the passage of time. Similar to Clarissa Dalloway, I reminisce over past experiences and those thoughts often affect my actions in the present. The depiction of time in novels and in real life can and does affect a person’s experience of the novel and of one’s life.

Andrew Corbitt

Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. 1925. Print.

Austen, Jane. Emma. New York: Penguin. 1815.

What impact does a point of view have?

In a traditional novel it is apparent within the first chapter, if not the first page, who that novel will be about, and whose point of view the novel will be in. An example of this type of novel would be Jane Austen’s Emma. The reader is immediately introduced to Emma and from that point on, the rest of the novel is written through “Emma’s eyes”. On the other hand, there are also unconventional novels that feature new and creative writing styles that have never been seen before. Virginia Woolf is a good example of an author who enjoyed writing “outside the box”. Her novel, Mrs. Dalloway, created quite a buzz in the literary world. There are many different aspects of Mrs. Dalloway that make the novel interesting, such as how Woolf continuously and spontaneously changes point of view throughout the novel, while at the same time keeping the main focus on Mrs. Dalloway. The always changing point of views keep the reader on their toes, while Emma, on the other hand, allows the reader to focus on the plot of the novel.

As I read Emma, it never really occurred to me that the novel was written through Emma’s point of view. I never really focused exactly on who was describing a certain event, but more on the details of the event itself. For example when Emma describes her encounter with Mr. Elton, the focus was the actual act of the proposal and not how Emma’s, or for that matter Mr. Elton’s, perception of the event. At the same time the perception of this event from different characters was not necessary. During the time period this novel was written everyone who was educated enough to read this novel would have never had any other reaction than Emma’s. Therefore it is easy to understand why in Jane Austen’s novel there was only ever one point of view, because it would have been scandalous for a person to have any other reaction than the one described in Emma.

Virginia Woolf, on the other hand, was not at all worried about how scandalous her novel may be viewed. Mrs. Dalloway is the total opposite of Emma. While it may not be traditional like Emma, it is for that reason even more thrilling! In Woolf’s novel the focus changes so often between characters, it is at times difficult to distinguish where on character begins and the other ends. It is as if we are reading the mind of an easily distracted person - a random object, word, or event can cause the person to focus on something else. An example of this can be seen when the reader is introduced to a young girl who just moved to London and is walking through a park. She sees Septimus and his wife sitting on a bench nearby and wonders at how odd they are. Suddenly the point of view shifts to the wife’s and she is upset that the girl will not stop looking and has inconveniently asked a question. Woolf does not focus on the plot in her novel. She is more intrigued to show us the inner workings of the mind and how that helps us to better understand and connect with the characters. She allows us to read their inner most thoughts.

Each of these novels provides the reader with a unique experience. With Emma a reader is captivated by an enchanting story of love. Whereas with Mrs. Dalloway, the reader is able to step into a world he or she would otherwise never be able to experience. Both of the novels effectively use their particular writing styles to successfully describe their story. 

Katie Delgado

A New Breed of Writer

Virginia Woolf was once criticized for not being an excellent writer because her writing did not follow the style that had the previous generations, such as Jane Austen, had.  The argument against her had character as the defining aspect of a novel.  However, the technique with which character is brought about is merely different in the two generations.  The older generation focuses more on character development through the plot, whereas the newer generation (with writers such as Virginia Woolf or Katherine Mansfield) develops characters by slowly giving details.
    The style used by the older generation was very straightforward- the novel followed a linear and chronological progression, and characters were well defined.  In Emma, Jane Austen defines every character the first time they are met in the novel.  The very first sentence of the novel marks Emma Woodhouse as “handsome, clever, and rich”.  While this leaves some interpretation open to the reader, the following paragraphs provide even more details concerning Emma’s nature and character.  This leaves less to the imagination of the reader as the characters are extremely well defined.  As the novel progresses, some of these facts become muddied or changed.  However, these changes are brought about by plot development.  Furthermore, these changes are also defined by the author.  Jane Austen tells us directly when Emma has had a change of heart or re-examines her traits.  This style requires the story to be compelling, as opposed to merely the character development.
    The newer generation of writers, characterized by Virginia Woolf, follow a completely different method of defining characters.  Where the older novelists would define a character, this newer group leaves much open to the reader.  However, as the novel continues, they slowly add details, as well as conflict, to give the reader a complete view of the characters.  For instance, in Miss Brill, the only information Katherine Masfield gives to us about Miss Brill is that she is a woman who enjoys spending time in the park.  As the story continues, we are given insight into her thoughts which allow us to have a more coherent view of her.  One notable fact would be her age.  However, this is not revealed until the final few paragraphs of the story.  The story is still reliant on character development, it just does it by incrementally giving us details rather than through the plot.  A side effect of this is that the story does not necessarily follow a linear and chronological plot.  For instance, in Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, we are first given the perspective of Mrs. Dalloway.  However, we are given some insight into how other characters view the world as well.  This gives us more perspective than from just the main character of the novel, vastly different from the writing style of Jane Austen.  However, it does also complicate the story somewhat by forcing the reader to maintain a good grasp on the current situation.
    The differences in the two styles are more than just mechanical.  While they have the same goals- show character develop and create an interesting or engaging story- they go about them in different ways.  The older style of writing focuses on the development of character through plot, whereas the newer generation focused on character development for character development.
Eric Carl

Feudalism and Capitalism

Between the 19th and 20th century, class structure changed a lot. There was a shift from a feudal society based on family status, to a society dictated by capitalism. Feudalistic society divided people based on lifestyle, either leisure or working.  The leisure group, made up of monarchs, nobility, and gentry were landed and wealthy.  They lived lives of luxury and did not work to sustain living expenses.  The working class, born into much poorer families often worked for the upper-class and only made enough money to sustain basic living expenses.  Jane Austen wrote in the era of feudalism, while Virginia Woolf wrote in the time period of capitalism.   These two social class styles are found in Austen's Emma and Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway.

In Jane Austen’s Emma, social classes were defined by feudalism, which was a economic land based system. Emma was a member of the leisure class which was fortunate for her because a person’s class status was determined only by birth, and there was little class mobility.  Compared to Emma Woodhouse, Robert Martin was on the other end of the class ladder.   He was a farmer, part of the working class and was not likely to move up in the social class.  The law of primogeniture, which drove feudalism was shown by Mr. Knightly eventually passing his estate down to Henry.  While Henry is not Mr. Knighty's son, he was next in line in the Knightly family.  The children after Henry would inherit nothing but the family name and would become lawyers, members of the clergy, or military men

In Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, social classes were defined by capitalism, which was very different from social classes in Emma Woodhouses’s time period. Mrs. Dalloway was part of the leisure class, show by the fact that she lived in Westminster which was historically occupied by the nobility and the wealthy.   Since Emma Woodhouse's time period, there was a movement towards capitalism.  London became a center for business and trade.  Lower class citizens were then more able to earn money and move up in social class.  Successful tradesmen were able to challenge the leisure class in terms of wealth.  This lead the laws of class hierarchy to break down and become less concrete.

After reading novels from both class structures examples, I would much rather have lived in the time of Clarissa Dalloway. Feudalism was not a fair system. Being the second born son in my family, by the law of primogeniture, I would have practically had to start over. Because of the law, I would have the choice of being in the clergy, in the military, or a lawyer.  Despite still living in leisure, I find the limited opportunity unappealing.  There would not be as much opportunity for my family because I would not own land and all my children would have is the family name.

Emma and Mrs. Dalloway displayed how class systems affected society.  The differences between the lives of Emma Woodhouse and Robert Martin are an example of the gap between the leisure and working  classes.  In Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa lived in a time in which the gap between these two gaps lessened as capitalism took control.  I find the movement made towards capitalism to be more rewarding and beneficial to myself and my endeavors.

Andrew Corbitt

Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. 1925. Print.

Austen, Jane. Emma. New York: Penguin. 1815.

Emma v.s. Mrs. Dalloway

What makes a book “good”? Virginia Woolf would argue that a good book begins with a worthy character – one who at first glance may not seem so interesting, but who demands our attention. On the other hand, Jane Austen may argue that a good book describes a complex plot that usually entails topics of love and class differences. But in the end, there is more than this debate that sets Jane Austen’s Emma and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway at two opposite ends of the novel spectrum. We must also take into consideration age differences between the two heroines and the different settings of the novels.

In the novel Mrs. Dalloway, the heroine Clarissa Dalloway, is at first introduced as a life loving, care free, youthful woman. However later on in the novel we discover that she is quite the opposite. We learn that she is a woman in her early fifties, who at times wishes, as most of us do, to begin her life anew. In Jane Austen’s Emma, we learn straight from the beginning that the novel features a young woman in her early twenties at the prime of her life surely preparing to make mistakes similar to those Clarissa Dalloway made in her youth. Seeing as these two heroines are a couple of generations apart, it is natural that they would have two different views of the world. For example when Peter Walsh comes to visit Clarissa, she seemingly is quite at ease with having another man, who is not at all related to her, in her bedroom as she mends a torn dress. Whereas Emma, in order to protect her honor, would find it quite awkward to be alone in a room with a man who is of no relation to her – which we can see when she is left alone with Mr. Elton in the carriage. These to point of views are important to take into consideration when you compare the two novels. Since Emma is quite younger than Clarissa, she will act a more immature and understand the world totally different. Clarissa has had years of experience to teach her what the world can be like.

As well as the age differences between the two characters, we must also take into consideration the setting of the two novels. Mrs. Dalloway is set most likely in the early to late 1920s. In this time period the norms of society have drastically altered in comparison with Emma’s time period. Even though women still do not have the same rights as men, they are given a few more freedoms, such as dress and the right to the same, if not similar, education as men. Women have more options, while marriage is the more comfortable option; it is not the only option for a happy fulfilling life. Emma, on the other hand, lives in a period where women must marry to survive. There are certain standards of dress and women are not necessarily allowed to have an education beyond what is needed to know to run a household.  These are two totally different cultures. One is ruled only by a class order system, where the rich have always been born that way, and the poor will remain that way. However, Clarissa’s culture is not so easily defined as rich or poor. While it still may not be easy to rise to a higher class, in Clarissa’s time period it is not all together impossible, as it was in Emma’s. Not to mention Emma lives in a rather rural city outside of London, whereas Clarissa lives almost in the heart of the city. This by itself is also a major difference. City life is nowhere near similar to life in a medium sized village.

So while these differences are small in comparison to the debate on what makes a good book, they are important to consider when one does compare two iconic books such as Emma and Mrs. Dalloway. 

Katherina Delgado


Austen, Jane. Emma. 2008. Signet Classics. Print
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. 1925. Harcourt Inc. Print.

Preconceived Ideas

One of the defining moments in the most recent chapters of Emma was finally being introduced to Frank Churchill.  Something I find particularly interesting about this is the way in which most of the characters react to finally meeting him.  Almost all of the characters have preconceived ideas about him and seem to be unable to be swayed from these thoughts.  I feel as if preconceived ideas, of either people or things, tend to have this pattern.   
    To help explain my viewpoint, some background information from the novel is necessary.  Prior to meeting Frank Churchill, the only info the characters had about him was from letters he mailed to his father.  This means that they probably had a positive view of this man’s traits (who portrays themselves negatively?).  There is absolutely nothing wrong with this.  After he arrives, he is well received by the characters, and his actions and attitudes support the way he was perceived.  However, he then spends an entire day getting his hair cut.  Mr. Knightley sees this action as frivolous and unsupportive of Frank’s supposed character.  This is where the problem can be seen in preconceived notions.  The other characters, Emma included, dismiss Mr. Knightley’s view because he dislikes Frank Churchill.  Even though Mr. Knightley does dislike him, he brings valid arguments up and he is easily dismissed.  These attitudes displayed by the characters apply to people today as well.
    People are prone to believe their preconceived ideas even when being argued against.  Yet it is important to always think about opposing arguments.  In Emma, if the characters had merely said that Frank Churchill still has some poor qualities rather than see him as nearly perfect, they would not be surprised when he decided to go get his hair cut.  While this in no way excuses his poor behavior, it shows that the characters have a better understanding of the people around them.  This thought process can be applied to ideas as well.
    One major idea that people deemed as the greatest invention was the car after it was readily affordable.  Not only did it provide cheap, personal transportation, but it helped clear up a significant amount of pollution in cities due to horses.  However, not until recently did people start noticing that cars actually have some major drawbacks, pollution ironically being one of those.  While we are now making a self conscious effort to reduce the pollution caused by cars, it’s important to note that people initially thought cars were great and could see very little wrong with them.  This was obviously not the case, but people at the time may not have been properly able to identify this type of pollution.   
    The problems that arise from preconceived ideas don’t lie in the actual preconceptions.  Even if it is wrong, that does not make it an issue.  The true issue arises when people refuse to admit that their ideas might possibly wrong, whether partially or entirely.  To say that people should never from ideas before given facts is an idea that will not be followed.  Rather, the idea is for us not to stop questioning something until we know the whole truth about it.

Eric Carl

Who keeps you up at night?

Harriet Smith is a sweet, impressionable girl. Miss Brill is a mysterious figure, who reveals her true character only a little at a time. These women are both completely opposite characters. We first meet Harriet, a character in Jane Austen’s Emma, at a particularly difficult moment in Emma’s life. Austen’s introduction of Harriet is rather brisk and provides a very clear and unassuming picture of exactly who Harriet Smith is. Miss Brill, on the other hand, is revealed by her creator, Katherine Mansfield, only in small snippets of information, which most often are never revealed directly to the reader. Each woman provides a clear example of two very different styles of writing.

Austen first introduces Harriet Smith to us just after the wedding of Emma’s close friend, Miss Taylor. As with every other character of Austen’s, almost everything we need to know about Miss Smith is revealed within the first three paragraphs of her initial introduction. Within those three paragraphs we learn about every aspect of Harriet’s character – her history, her particular position in society, her connections, her physical appearance, and her personality. However while Austen was writing Emma in 1815, this style of writing was very popular. Harriet’s detailed and abrupt introduction in Austen’s novel leaves no room for the reader to imagine a different Harriet. However if not only to imagine a different Harriet, Austen could have provided more suspense and intrigue to the plot if Harriet was not introduced so suddenly.

Virginia Woolf made this case in her essay Character in Fiction, a response to Arnold Bennett’s criticism of modern writers. In Bennett’s generation of writers characters were introduced to the novel much the same way that Austen introduces Harriet. Bennett argues that in order for a novel to succeed the characters must be “real” and that this is best achieved through his generation’s style of writing. In other words the characters are there to better facilitate the message the author wishes to convey on to his readers. While I find this to be a very efficient argument, Virginia Woolf’s counter argument is also very convincing. She argued that writing a novel must not always be written with the goal of conveying a deep message about politics, society, or education, but that a novel can focus only on its characters and therein exam what exactly makes that character so “real”. Woolf wrote with the goal in mind to introduce the reader to a character that they may or may not know personally, and to reflect deeply on what exactly makes that character a “person”.

We can see an example of what Woolf meant in Mansfield’s Miss Brill. The reader is plunged head first into the life of some woman who enjoys going to the park every Sunday. As the story goes on, the reader is only slowly introduced to Miss Brill. The first thing we learn from the narrator is that, “Miss Brill is glad she had decided on her fur.” (Mansfield) From this first sentence the reader slowly begins to build a picture in his or her mind. Mansfield is very methodical and only gives us glimpses of Miss Brill’s character periodically throughout the story. This style of writing is intriguing! It is so unique and thought provoking. By writing this way Mansfield is slowly developing Miss Brill’s character while at the same time allowing the reader to develop his or her own version of Miss Brill. Each person who reads this short story will come away with their own personal Miss Brill. We can get a better understanding of exactly who she is!

After reading Miss Brill, I feel like there is something in Harriet that is lacking. Even though Austen clearly tells me at the beginning exactly what Harriet is like, I still feel as if I don’t really know her. Miss Brill on the other hand has become my personal companion, who I think of at random moments throughout the day. These two authors clearly have very different writing styles, but in the end who wrote a more intriguing character? Each of them will swear to have successfully created a well-developed personality. But in the end, Miss Brill is the only one who will keep you up at night wondering what she must be like.

Austen, Jane. Emma. 1815. Locations 270-85 (Kindle edition)

Woolf, Virginia. Characters in Fiction. 1924. Essay

Mansfield, Katherine. Miss Brill.  1920. 

Katherina Delgado

Styles of Characterization

Character development is an extremely important aspect in the creation of a novel.  Authors such as Arnold Bennett, Katherine Mansfield , and Jane Austen developed the characters in their works of literature in different ways.  Bennett used thorough descriptions to create characters, Mansfield used plot the plot to reveal and help the reader draw inferences from the characters actions, and Austen used a combination of both styles.  The manner in which each of these authors introduces its characters influences how the reader views the characters throughout the novel. 

Arnold Bennett's writing style was influenced by the Edwardian time period, and in conjunction with  modernist writers, he created characters by description.  Bennett believed that a good novel was based on a real and convincing character, and otherwise, the novel would have no chance to endure.  The only means of creating this character was to describe the attributes of the character plainly and clearly.  This type of characterization leads the reader to gather judgments about the character almost immediately. Direct characterization creates significantly more shallow characters in comparison to the characterization present in Katherine Mansfield's writing.

In Katherine Mansfield's  short story Miss Brill, Mansfield slowly revealed information about the protagonist till the end.  Mansfield used details from the story to describe Miss Brill.  Instead of Mansfield telling readers Miss Brill is a poor, lonely, old woman, she used details from Miss Brill's day in the park to elaborate on her personality.   Miss Brill viewed the activities of others and imagined having  relationships with them while she sat alone  revealing that she lacked close friendships and relationships.  Additionally, the old fur that is showing wear and use is a representation of her lower middle class status.  Finally, readers are not told of Miss Brill's age until the very end of the story when Miss Brill overheard a young couple mocking her and her age.  By using clues from the story to create her protagonist, Mansfield created an engaging story which allows readers to truly understand her character.

Jane Austen's Emma utilized both styles of characterization used by Bennett and Mansfield.  Austen revealed information about the protagonist throughout the story; however,  Austen characterized Harriet Smith almost completely by description.  Emma is the protagonist of the novel and upon Emma's reactions to certain situations, inferences can be made of her character.  Through Emma's belief in her matchmaking abilities, the reader learns of her stubbornness, vanity, and desire to help others.  In contrast to how Austen characterized Emma, other characters in the novel were characterized  by description.  Readers are simply told of Harriet's life, appearance, and social class in a few paragraphs. This was the majority of the character development of Harriet.   Austen's use of multiple characterization styles allow for her to focus and develop on characterizing the protagonist. 

I find, that while both means of characterization are useful, Mansfield's establishment of characters throughout the story was most engaging.  As a reader, being able to develop an idea of a character based on the storyline rather than being told details created more vivid and realistic characters.

Andrew Corbitt

Mansfield, Katherine. “Miss Brill.” Stories. 1956. New York: Vintage 1991. 298-302. Print.

Austen, Jane. Emma. New York: Penguin. 1815.

A Difference in Perspective

    One of the more interesting aspects of the novel Emma by Jane Austen is the difference in cultures between when it was written and now.  The first reason, and why there are so many differences, is because this novel was written approximately 200 years ago.  The way we react to time and our nearby surroundings now is so different than what takes place in the novel it is almost hard to imagine.
    The way time is presented in this novel is completely foreign to me.  While the events happen chronologically, they are not defined by a specific time.  For instance, there is no mention of what time of day it is in the novel, except for meal times and sleeping.  However, neither of these events are designated a specific time, but rather a general stretch of time.  The reason why this is difficult for me to imagine is because our lives are hugely affected by what time of day it is now.  I have classes at a specific time of the day, the dining hall and other restaurants are only open certain hours, and the same is true for all of the people in my life.  Furthermore, the novel also seems to disregard dates.  It makes note of major dates, such as Christmas, but the specific date of the novel seems unimportant.  From a writing standpoint, I see how it is not important to write specific dates unless it is important to the story.  Yet the date is just as important to us as the time of the day.  So many different events happen in cities and in the suburbs that the date is important to recognize what is going on.  Some of this can be excused since it doesn’t appear that dates are important to the novel, though.
    The way that the area around the characters is portrayed is more similar to our current world than the way time was, but it is still noticeably different.  The characters do not venture away from their neighborhood, and even only leave their homes on occasion.  However, this is pretty similar to the way we live now.  I spend most of my day in my house, well my dorm, unless I have classes or group work.  The only other time I leave my “house” is if I’m meeting people, which they do in the novel, or if I’m going out for an event.  This is the key differentiation from their time, as there have been no events that didn’t involve meeting people in the novel.  An important thing to note, though, is that a distance of 16 miles (from Emma’s home to London) seems remarkably far to the characters in the book.  My house is 25 miles from downtown Atlanta and yet it is technically listed as a suburb of Atlanta.  While we do have the means of traveling at greater speeds due to cars, the difference between then and now is astounding.
    Looking at Emma from a modern viewpoint is difficult as the way they define their existence is vastly different from the way we do.  Moreover, understanding these distinctions helps understand slightly more of the novel and why their world seems so different.

Eric Carl

Rural to Urban

In the 1800's, the world was centered around rural realities; however, in the 21st century, the world is centered around urban culture.  This can be shown by examining the society found in Jane Austin's Emma, and also by analyzing the society we face today.  The pre-industrial culture found in Emma focuses on a small-town rural lifestyle, while culture today is centered around urban cities. Technological advancements have contributed significantly to the shift toward an urban way of life.

In Jane Austen's novel, Emma's life was centered about a few mile radius around her house.  Her day-to-day acquaintances all live within walking distance, or a distance that can be traveled by horse and carriage .  Social events in this time included visits to close friends and dinner parties, both of which are found in Emma.  Not only was Emma's social life centered around her house, her education took place in her house too. Emma's instruction consisted not of formal schooling, but instead, a close friend taught her in the comfort of her home.   This sort of lifestyle was common in that time period due to technological constraints.  Without the convenience of cars or local trains, traveling large distances was not only difficult but nearly impossible for a large portion of the population.

Since the 19th century, technology has contributed to the shift from a rural to an urban lifestyle.  Improved transportation, quicker and easier communication, and the spread of knowledge has facilitated the growth of cities across the world.  An urban lifestyle is desired in the 21st century because of the availability of a variety of  professions, the resources located in a city, and amount of people that live in a city.  After I graduate from college, I hope that I will live and work either in or near a city. It seems as though Emma simply desires to live in the countryside forever, and that could not be further away from my goals in life. Technology has changed the aspirations of many in the past two centuries.

In the 200 years that have passed since Emma Woodhouses's time, education has changed significantly. Instead of being educated at home, the majority of people leave their houses to become educated. In the 21st century, from the time a person is about five years old, he leaves his house to attend a place of education. Yes, there still are children who are homeschooled, but the majority of children are educated in public and private schools across the country. I am proof of this shift from rural to urban movement.  My parents live in a suburb of Atlanta, and after I completed high school, I left my semi-urban lifestyle to be educated at a major university  in one of the largest cities in America. Unlike Emma, whose life is almost completely centered around a rural reality, my life is centered around an urban reality.

I can't fathom spending the majority of my life within in a two mile radius. I enjoy the freedom of having the opportunity of being able to travel virtually anywhere in the world. I am thankful for the technological advancements that have allowed me to do so, and I enjoy my urban lifestyle.   

Austen, Jane. Emma. New York: Penguin. 1815. Print.

Andrew Corbitt