Have you ever paused in the middle of your day and wondered if you’re really living your life or just scrolling through it? Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel “Mrs. Dalloway” explores the same pending question, even if scrolling wasn’t as prominent. 

Clarissa Dalloway seems to have it all – hosting a party and living comfortably in London. But throughout her party planning, she constantly questions herself. Did she make the right choices? Did she love the right people? Has she truly lived her life the way she wanted to? 

Although “Mrs. Dalloway” was released exactly 100 years ago, in our modern world, we can still relate to the novel. We are constantly juggling school, media, work and relationships. Scrolling through social media, posting about our lives, comparing ourselves to different influencers in the world and worrying if we are genuinely going through life in the right way. 

Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway” follows Clarissa Dalloway, a socialite woman in post-World War I London, as she prepares to host an evening party. The novel shifts between Clarissa’s thoughts, memories and observations. Throughout this, she reflects on the choices she has made, the life she is living, and what continues to lie ahead. 

Clarissa’s inner thoughts, the reflections that she reminisces about her past and her worries about the future, compare to the way our own minds hop from memories to daydreams to anxiety, trying to determine how we are supposed to live our lives and who we truly are. As Woolf writes, “She always had the feeling that it was very, very dangerous to live even one day.” This sense of unease mirrors how many of us live in modern life. Woolf’s writing encourages us to pause and understand the life that we are truly living in. 

The novel shows how social expectations shape who we are一or who we pretend to be. Clarissa hosts her lively party to meet the social expectations that are pressurized onto her, but also because it gives her a sense of control in a world that often feels overwhelming. Although we may not host a gala, we still feel the pressure to perform – whether on social media, at school, or in our future careers, the pressure put upon us is daunting. Today, our identities are constantly on display, and success is measured by how we appear to others or what others are doing within their lives rather than how we truly feel. Unlike Clarissa’s one evening act, our performances continue daily, putting on an act in front of others instead of portraying ourselves as we truly feel. 

While preparing for the party, Clarissa explores a reflection of herself. She questions the meaning of her life, love, and death. In our fast-paced world, we never stop to ask ourselves these essential questions. 

As Woolf continues to unravel Clarissa’s character, she reminds us how pausing to reflect is essential. Whether it’s through journaling, reading, meditation or just a quiet moment to think, taking time to understand ourselves can help us live – without the constant toll of social media and the world upon us. 

Reading Mrs. Dalloway reminds us that exploring our identity and meaning isn’t a struggle一although it may seem as such一but it’s an experience that we should all go through. 

Clarissa’s story still resonates because the emotions she grapples with一loneliness, self-doubt, longing and the desire to be understood一are universal. Woolf’s writing encourages us to slow down, reflect and face the hard questions. 

As we continue down this long path of experiences一love, heartbreak, success, failure and joy一we can find ourselves amidst the middle of this chaotic world we live in.