MOD A REVISED VERSION

Shaping conversations, the recontextualisation of literature challenges and extends

responders to understand the continuum of values despite contextual shifts. Enhancing and
encapsulating the transcendent values of time and mortality whilst questioning traditional
oppressive gender roles, the textual conversation between Virginia Woolf’s modernist prose
fiction Mrs Dalloway and Stephen Daldry’s postmodern filmic homage The Hours encourages
responders to develop insights into their respective contexts. Leading to a greater
appreciation of Woolf’s original thematic concerns, Daldry’s visual postmodern reinterpretation
reveals the complex interaction between conflicting ideologies across eras.

By engaging in a textual conversation, Daldry’s avant-garde reinterpretation of individual

concerns with time and mortality from Mrs Dalloway resonates with Woolf’s subversion of
narrative conventions, but offers sensitivity to life as a potential solution to the challenges
posed by the modernist psyche. While Woolf dismantles the conventional constraints of linear
storytelling through its modernist stream of consciousness style, Daldry similarly mirrors the
fragmented style with a postmodernist tripartite structure of non-linear narratives to place a
comparison between the three women in their contrasting contexts. Although the abrupt shifts
in narrative and setting diminish Woolf’s seamlessly interweaved composition, the postmodern
cross-cutting technique does not overly detract from Woolf’s original message as it blends
different eras together to suggest the interconnecting experiences despite temporal gaps. As
the novel takes place over one day, Woolf incorporates Bergson’s modernist theory of time to
the fragmented mental state of her post-war society. As individuals examined time in
emotional duration rather than clock time, Rezia’s reminder of the limited time she has with
her husband uncovers her fears of Septimus’ suicide as she exclaims that “there was
nobody… I am alone; I am alone!”. Through the repetition of “I am alone”, Woolf captures the
disruptive nature of time perceived by Rezia, inhibiting her ability to sustain happiness with
Septimus. Unable to confide in anyone about her mental struggle as “it was cowardly for a
man to say he would kill himself”, Rezia’s isolation captures the authoritative power of time
that holds capacity to influence individual’s thoughts on the limited time as they approach
mortality. Whilst Daldry resonates with Woolf by similarly underlining the disruptiveness of
time, his postmodern approach embraces the non-linear view of time rather than challenging
the traditional linear notions of time. Through the motif of water seen in the opening scene of
The Hours, the act of Virginia drowning herself acts as a metaphor for her desire to escape
the confines of her temporal existence, symbolising a departure from the linear progression of
time and merging with the timeless realm. Virginia’s diegetic transgression as “[She] was
going to kill the heroine” portrays influence of the past to present through shots of Laura
reading, highlighting space shifts between Laura and Virginia as issues remain the same. This
implies the coexistence of two time levels which pulls individuals out of their reverie to seek
connections to time in a contemporary world. By reframing Woolf’s construction and societal
critique on the linear perspective of time which influences realisation on the impermanent
human life, Daldry’s postmodern reimagination offers individuals support to find freedom while
affirming the value of Woolf’s original creation.

Daldry’s representation of resonating themes from Mrs Dalloway reveals dissonances in form
and authorial intent between film and novel, re-examining the existing nature of gender
oppression in his society to connect with postmodern audiences. Woolf illuminates the
reminders of limited time in human mortality, prompting individuals to seek liberation and
confront oppressive 20th century patriarchal attitudes that forced them to conform to strict
codes of femininity and masculinity. Through the eponymous title of ‘Mrs Dalloway’, Woolf
underlines the irony of her name defined by her husband, emphasising influences of her
patriarchal society constraining the female role. Woolf exemplifies the urgency to seek
emotional assistance in “She wanted support. Not that she was weak; but she wanted
support”, where the indirect interior monologue expresses her vulnerability as she is
overwhelmed by the patriarchy degrading women to inhabit private matrimonial spheres
concerning home, children and religion. Similarly, Daldry’s cinematic representation identifies
the lack of female autonomy in postmodern society despite Third-Wave feminism expanding
social equality for women. Though the mise-en-scene of floral wallpaper and glossy
countertops illustrates a utopian ‘American Dream’ household, Daldry’s choice to visually
express the pressures of women subduing their true desires simplifies Woolf’s authoritative
execution in her novel. While Woolf enhances the satirical critique of her context, Daldry’s film
hyper-fixates on characterised stereotypes of the catatonic housewife, reflecting the often
depthless societal disposition of postmodern thought. Woolf captures the fractured state of
Septimus’ psyche amidst a society that traditionally characterises men as stoic and prohibited
to express weakness. Septimus feels compelled to conceal his insanity despite “The whole
world was clamouring: Kill yourself…”, where the profound dialogue and monologue
embodies Septimus’ struggle as a victim of mental health. Contrastingly, in the parallel
character Richard Brown, Daldry fixates on the stereotype of a homosexual AIDS sufferer with
childhood trauma rather than a self-reflective class critique to reflect the behaviour of
postmodern thinking. Although the sense of disorder created by cutaway closeups of Richie
playing with toys and interrupting shots of Laura driving to the hotel represent the corruption
of innocence caused by trauma and psychological destruction from AIDS, Daldry’s filmic form
neutralises Woolf’s insight into the complexity of her characters. While Septimus suppresses
his mental instability of WWI from his patriarchal society, Richard’s subduing of illness and
trauma highlights persisting patriarchal values in Daldry’s postmodern context. Despite this,
Daldry’s simplification of Woolf’s intent ensures the film aligns with the values and medium of
its time. Although Daldry’s attempt to visually imitate Woolf’s unique authorial voice reveals a
dissonance, the reframing of concerns reveals the transcendent message of the original text
and illuminates appropriations as a way to fit our contemporary methods of communication.

The adaptation and reimagining of past works encourage readers to contemplate previous
values and social norms in current society. Daldry’s postmodern pastiche of Mrs Dalloway’s
provoking writing style and construction enhances the literary vision of Woolf’s prose fiction,
visually capturing the enduring significance of time and mortality which influences individuals’
responses to oppressive gender roles. While the limitations of the filmic mode neutralises the
complexity of Woolf’s literary vision, the reframing of characters and themes through a
different medium highlights values of conversing ideologies, offering a greater appreciation of
literature’s power to connect individuals across time.