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.
While this post attempts to show how perception is important, I feel like it just tells us what happens in the novel. You briefly say why the evidence you provide is important, but it needs more depth to be effective. For instance, in the second paragraph, you give many examples of Peter's actions, but don't show us why those actions are meaningful to perception. An easy way to do this is by expanding your thesis in the body paragraphs instead of merely saying perception is misleading.
ReplyDeleteEric Carl