Who needs words
In Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa and Richard's relationship isn't talked about much, until it is highlighted in Richard's point of view. Before that, we see glimpses of Clarissa's brief thoughts about him and their relationship, but for the most part are left to piece it together. Though, I think that the connection between them is important, I believe that is opens up a larger more interesting topic of why Clarissa picked Richard over Peter. Throughout the book we hear Clarissa's thoughts on both Richard and Peter, both good and bad.
Peter is very talkative, and much more expressive of his feelings. He often gives Clarissa long speeches, openly discussing his feelings. We learn he also has many habits that annoy her, like walking in at the wrong time, or always playing with his pocket knife. In contrast, Richard is more quiet, so much that he struggles to say the simple words "I love you". At first, his inability to express this feelings comes off as a lack of emotions, but Woolf turns it into the very opposite. His actions allow speak the words, the thought he put into getting Clarissa flowers, and the fact that he thought of her shows his love for her.
These interactions helps us understand why Clarissa picked Richard over Peter. Peter's emotional intensity and endless drama, only seemed to overwhelm Clarissa. While Richard's quiet demeanor allowed for a different kind of communication. He love is shown through his actions, his presence and even moments when he cannot express it. In a backwards way, Richard's silence gives more substance than Peter's endless talking. Like the saying "silence speaks a thousand words". Peter can tell Clarissa he loves her, but Richard makes her feel loved.
This connection between Richard and Clarissa shows that love doesn't need to be spoken to be understood, and when Richard can't say "I love you", he gives a perfect example of how meaningful actions can be over words.
Hi Emma! Great blog! I really like your thoughts on this. I think this blog does a good job at looking at Richard for who he is and what he does for Clarissa, because it can be easy to dismiss their relationship given the fact Clarissa reflects a lot on her other relationships throughout the book, giving the impression she may not be very happy. I like how you point out that perhaps Richard simply just doesn't need words when his actions speak such large volumes. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteIt would be great to dig more deeply into the text here, to look for evidence of how Clarissa thinks of Richard--whether or not we can tell that his attempt to say "I love you" ("in so many words") IS indeed successful, even if he doesn't actually, you know, *say the words*. I would turn to the ending of the novel, which is the time when Clarissa really starts to appreciate Richard. She is indeed happy after his post-lunch visit, and she appreciates the flowers--it is a nice contrast or foil to her confusing and upsetting encounter with Peter, and we could contrast the two scenes to argue that she has made the right choice. But I like the section at the very end, when she goes off into the room alone in the middle of the party--when she decides to choose life, to return to the party, to keep on living, she is primarily motivated by thinking about Richard and how happy she has been with him. I see a direct parallel to Richard thinking of his life as a "miracle," primarily because of Clarissa's presence. Whether these feelings are fully communicated on the surface or not, the novel gives ample evidence that these two know how each other feels, and the feelings are reciprocated.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your analysis on their contrasting traits, I feel there's also something to said about the fact that Richard's character is one who embodies actions over words in a book where an internal monologue is way more valuable than the surrounding events. Maybe he's meant as a breath of fresh air amongst the misconstrued cast of characters. He's this overall happy guy concerned about buying flowers for his wife whilst his wife worries about existential dilemmas. A complete switcharound from the rest of the cast. And maybe, that's why Clarissa ultimately chose him. Who knows. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteEmma! This is such a great catch I wouldn't have even thought about this in depth without this post. Their relationship is so interesting even though it wasn't talked about enough (in my opinion) by either of them. Especially the whole "I love you scene" and Clarissa's jealousy when Richard eats with Lady Bruton. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Emma! I agree, Richard’s silence definitely holds more substance than Peter’s endless talking. You're last paragraph is just like the saying actions speak louder than words. Great blog!
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