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The Specter of the Past

 While on the surface it seems as though Septimus and Clarissa are extremely different. When you dive deeper into their respective lives it is not difficult to find a common thread. They both struggle to move on from an extremely impactful past. While Clarissa's memories are much more positive and contain a time she wished to return to, and Septimus' are of death and destruction they both loom over their current lives like ghosts. 

Clarissa is constantly referring back to her time as an 18 year old with Sally Seaton at Bourton. She seems to spend less time enjoying the present than she does imagining herself back as a young woman. Although, she doesn't seem necessarily content with her current life, she can't seem to shake the past. Septimus' struggles are much more obvious. The horrors of war and the death of his friend have left him unfeeling and confused. Creating a cycle of despair eventually resulting in his death.

It seems as though Woolfe's goal in this was to contrast people of two classes, but with similar afflictions. I think most people who read this novel will pick up on links between Clarissa and Septimus. Their lifestyles are so drastically different but they both can't shake the past. 

Comments

  1. KatelynOctober 3, 2020 at 11:46 AM

    I think it's an interesting point you bring up about class difference when it comes to Septimus and Clarissa because to some respect it really is about their support system and their purpose in life. Clarissa feels she's found some purpose in her parties and social events, showing the reader that she can easily surround herself with people. However, it isn't until she's all alone that she truly connects with Septimus for the first time, which tells a lot about the isolation that Septimus went through.

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  2. Edward KongOctober 14, 2020 at 2:00 AM

    In the end, I definitely agree that there is some kind of psychological link between Clarissa and Septimus. Towards the end of the party, we can see Clarissa herself reflecting upon Septimus' suicide and a result her own life decisions. Both have some polarizing past that denies the present in some way in my opinion.

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  3. JakeOctober 15, 2020 at 2:20 PM

    Another thing that is interesting to me as that Clarissa witnessed the death of her own sister first hand yet this does not weigh on her in the present. While both Clarissa and Septimus can't shake the past there is definitely a different intensity between their memories.

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  4. Zachary's History as Fiction BlogOctober 17, 2020 at 7:09 PM

    I think Clarissa sees herself and more specifically her struggles to focus on her mortality and accepted intertwined with Septimus's struggles. And there is definitely a tangible connection here, as the climax of the novel within Clarissa's head is definitely after she retreats into the room when she learns of Septimus' suicide, and she finally finds peace with her morality learning that she will only be content when she takes control.

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