Who is Richard Dalloway? An Outside View vs. an Inside View
While Richard Dalloway is the husband of the main character, we don't even meet him until about one hundred pages into the novel. Because of this, most of what we know about Richard is from the other characters describing him.
From the outside, Richard is a very simple person, a generic version of the of a suitable man to marry for the time. He has a stable job in parliament, is a great example of the English gentleman, firm belief in tradition, etc. His character oozes simplicity. When he is talked about, he is most often noted for his job in parliament above all else, as opposed to other characters. When Peter or Septimus are talked about, their personalities define them more than their roles.
However, this changes when we are able to see from Richard's point of view. We get to see small, unique aspects of him that weren't covered when he was talked about- his goals, such as writing about Lady Bruton's family, or his opinion of Hugh in the shopping scene. "For the worthlessness of this life did strike Richard pretty forcibly" and "Hugh was becoming an intolerant ass" are two quotes that give Richard more personality. More importantly, we get to see his view of his marriage with Clarissa. Despite that their relationship is not very intimate, it is clear that Richard does care deeply about Clarissa. However, it is through this that we see a weaker side of Richard, as he doesn't even have the courage to risk being awkward or loving to his own wife. Firstly, he has to motivate himself to tell his own wife he loves her, and then fails, avoiding the words at the last second. While this scene might be cute or funny to some people, I believe it brings out one of Richard's more negative aspects. He isn't a particularly strong-willed or open person, and this is why his roles as a member of parliament and husband define him more than his personality.
From the outside, Richard is a very simple person, a generic version of the of a suitable man to marry for the time. He has a stable job in parliament, is a great example of the English gentleman, firm belief in tradition, etc. His character oozes simplicity. When he is talked about, he is most often noted for his job in parliament above all else, as opposed to other characters. When Peter or Septimus are talked about, their personalities define them more than their roles.
However, this changes when we are able to see from Richard's point of view. We get to see small, unique aspects of him that weren't covered when he was talked about- his goals, such as writing about Lady Bruton's family, or his opinion of Hugh in the shopping scene. "For the worthlessness of this life did strike Richard pretty forcibly" and "Hugh was becoming an intolerant ass" are two quotes that give Richard more personality. More importantly, we get to see his view of his marriage with Clarissa. Despite that their relationship is not very intimate, it is clear that Richard does care deeply about Clarissa. However, it is through this that we see a weaker side of Richard, as he doesn't even have the courage to risk being awkward or loving to his own wife. Firstly, he has to motivate himself to tell his own wife he loves her, and then fails, avoiding the words at the last second. While this scene might be cute or funny to some people, I believe it brings out one of Richard's more negative aspects. He isn't a particularly strong-willed or open person, and this is why his roles as a member of parliament and husband define him more than his personality.
I agree with you that his roles define him more than his personality. I think that Clarissa also looks at him with his roles, not his personality in the sense that she sees herself as married to an important parliament member: Mr. Richard Dalloway, not as the wife of Richard because she makes sure to maintain her status for her husband's.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Richard is not a very "open" person in the sense that he does not display his love for Clarissa in a straightforward manner. Their love is more of a mutual understanding between each other. Its kind of interesting that you denote this as a negative aspect of him. For one, Clarissa seems to appreciate the space that Richard gives her. Maybe his inability to be more "open" with his love for Clarissa is actually helping their marriage! Interesting stuff!
ReplyDeleteRichard is never portrayed as the most loving husband and there are times when Clarissa considers if she was right to marry him. He doesn't seem to understand much about Clarissa, or her parties, and there seems to be a disconnect between each of their personal spheres. However, there are times when Richard does seem to be genuinely caring and does provide Clarissa with the space she needs. By the end she confirms "It was due to Richard, she had never been so happy."
ReplyDeleteI agree that Richard is not the most open person about his feelings for Clarissa, but they are still there and they still are represented in his actions. For example when he tries to get her to rest after lunch it shows that he genuinely cares about her, even if he can't say it. And since both Richard and Clarissa seem to be happy with their marriage perhaps it is a good thing that he gives her so much space.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting yet hard topic to talk about. Like you mentioned, the character of Richard Dalloway barely has any screen time throughout the whole book. Because of this, it's hard to deduce his personality and characteristics. But from what the readers receive, I agree with you when you say Richard is not a very open person to even Clarissa. Woolf portrays him as a working man and that contributes to his kind of coldness in life.
ReplyDeleteI think that the character of Richard was only inserted to contrast with Peter; Woolf designed a love triangle with Clarissa, Peter, and Richard. Since Peter is much more fleshed out than Richard, it's clear that Woolf intended a main part of the plot to involve Clarissa and Peter. Because of this, it makes sense that Richard isn't described in a very detailed way at first, and he's only introduced to make Clarissa's love choices more distinct. I agree that his roles are more defining than his personality, after all, Peter looks down at those aristocratic roles in disdain, which is perfect for creating reflection for Clarissa (should i have married that peter dude or richard, who's a plain parliament politician).
ReplyDeleteI like your post! I agree that Richard Dalloway does not appear to be a very open or spontaneous person let alone a romantic. However, I think this may be reflecting his personality melding with the behavioral expectations of an aristocratic gentleman in British society (closed-off, not overly emotional). In fact, I think that Clarissa’s desire to maintain the “gulf” between them may as well contribute to his hesitation, as though he were following her unwritten rules of conduct. These traits you are describing are definitely present within Richard from the get-go, but I also think that his situation and position in life may be exacerbating these qualities further.
ReplyDeleteI find it very interesting how Richard's inner thoughts differ from what one's view of him might be when seeing him from an outer perspective. After we watched "The Hours," we discussed momentarily how various character's outer confidence was covering complete lack of confidence. I think this is exactly what is going on with Richard. The patriarchy teaches him to be stoic and not show emotion and he does very well with that. He is polite and a successful politician, but when it comes to his personal life, that bravado disappears and he has trouble even telling his wife that he loves her. I think this is part of what makes Richard as a character someone can at least pity, if not relate to.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a slight disconnect between who Richard is on the inside and who he appears to be on the outside. From the outside (and from Clarissa's point of view) Richard Dalloway is reduced to little more than an MP and Clarissa's husband, in a similar way to how Clarissa is sometimes reduced to little more than an MP's wife (even from her own perspective). Yet on the inside they are both extremely complex and emotional characters. However, I would argue that at least in the case of Septimus, there is a very obvious disconnect between his outward appearance and what is going on in his mind. Rather than his appearance being defined by his condition, at least from the perspective of an ordinary person he seems to have little wrong with him aside from a tendency to like he thinks something bad is about to happen all the time. This is characterized by Holmes' inability to recognize that there is anything wrong with him, and also shows up in the first description we get of Septimus during the car montage.
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