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1-Page Summary of Mrs. Dalloway

Part One, Section One: Clarissa Dalloway decided to buy the flowers for her party that evening. Lucy had too much other work. Clarissa thought of the hush that fell over Westminster right before the ring of Big Ben. It was June and World War I was over. She loved life. Hugh Whitbread walked toward her and assured her that he would attend the party. Clarissa thought of her boyfriend before she married, Peter. She could not stop memories from rushing over her because she knew she had been correct not to marry Peter; he would have given no independence to his wife but still it bothered Clarissa how ungrateful she’d been in rejecting him when he deserved so much more than rejection from his beloved girlfriend who should have appreciated what a good man he was instead of wanting more for herself all along like some sort of selfish monster always thinking only about what people think rather than doing things out of value or love itself which is why it’s such a relief now to finally be with someone like this new guy Septimus whom I’m sure will never let me down because we’re perfect together and happy forever!

Bond Street fascinated her. Her daughter, Elizabeth, was not as interested in Bond Street. She found more interest in callous Miss Kilman. Clarissa disliked Miss Kilman and entered Mulberry’s florist to find a replacement for the woman she didn’t like. She was greeted by Miss Pym who noticed that Clarissa looked older than usual today. A strange noise came from outside which sounded like a gun being fired off into the air; however, it was just someone honking their car horn at another driver who had cut them off on Bond Street.

Part I, Section Two: The loud noise of a car had caused Septimus to stop walking. He knew something bad was about to happen, as did his wife. They hurried away from the crowd that had formed around them and went into Buckingham’s gates. Clarissa felt like magic was in the air when she saw smoke spelling out letters from an airplane flying overhead.

In Regent’s Park, Septimus stared into space. Rezia hated when he did that. She walked to the fountain to distract herself and felt alone. The doctor said there was nothing wrong with him, but she still worried about him. When she returned, he jumped up and asked for her help in getting directions from a girl named Maisie Johnson from Edinburgh who needed them to get home on the subway train. Maisie was shocked by his behavior because of how odd it seemed compared to everyone else around her at that moment in time while Mrs Carrie Dempster noticed Maisie and thought back on her younger days when things were different than they are now during this time period of history as well as flying over many other English folk whose messages written out into the sky by airplanes continued aimlessly without any real meaning or purpose behind them at all really other than just being there for people to read if they happened upon one of these messages in their travels throughout England during this particular era in time which is what I would have done had I been able to fly above all those other English citizens living here during this era so long ago (the 1940s)

Part 1, Section 3:

Clarissa wondered what people were looking at. She felt like a nun who had returned to her habit. Richard got invited to lunch with Lady Bruton, but Clarissa was snubbed and withdrew upstairs to the virginal attic room that she’d occupied since her illness. She thought back on all the things she learned from Sally Seton, an old friend of hers before marriage. Sally taught Clarissa about men’s feelings towards women and how they react differently when around them because of their experiences in life with other women before meeting one another for the first time.