Comparison of The Hours and Mrs. Dalloway

In Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolfe, and The Hours, by Micheal Cunningham, contrasting representations of the women’s role in society present interesting comparisons of how the different female characters live their lives. While Mrs. Dalloway in Mrs. Dalloway , and Laura Brown in The Hours, remain static characters in the way they are complacent with the position society assigns to them as the “typical” housewife, other characters in Mrs. Dalloway counteract this stereotypes such as Lady Bruton and Miss Kilman. Instead of living life subordinate to men, and completely content in their roles as proper wives, they appear to be more commanding and in control of who they are as female individuals. Thus, the comparison of Woolfe and Cunningham’s novels present contrasting interpretations of the voice of women in literature.
Many comparisons can be made between Mrs. Dalloway and Laura Brown, due to their roles as women who constantly need to seek more in their lives. Mrs. Dalloway’s one, single task for the day is ensuring her party runs smoothly. Similarly Laura Brown is overly concerned with the absolute perfection of her husband’s cake. Because neither of them have any greater purpose in life than these insignificant and stereotypical housewife duties, their lives are somewhat meaningless. Since both characters are presented as being so concerned and overwhelmed with these menial tasks, it becomes evident that they need to seek more in life. At one point, Laura Brown even considers suicide, showing just how barred she felt from going anywhere in life, as women. One factor that plays a huge role in Mrs. Dalloway and Laura Brown’s complacency in their position as women, is the restrictions society places on their actions as female individuals. Women were supposed to be stay at home mothers and wives, keeping the house clean, planning parties, and leaving all of the more significant tasks to their husbands. Sadly, it seems that Mrs. Dalloway and Laura Brown even know this, where their main focuses of the day are things of the littlest important in the grand scheme of their lives, however they do not really do anything about it . Thus, both characters are very similar in the way they are somewhat static and negligent about improving their oppressive lives.
Mrs. Dalloway and Laura Brown may also be compared to Rezia, the wife of Septimus. Although she may seem to be in control of who she is and what she does, she spends her life catering to her husband and his sickness. Like the husbands of Mrs. Dalloway and Laura Brown, Septimus is not demanding of her, but rather quite unresponsive to what she does. Despite the fact that Septimus does not play a domineering role in her life, Rezia is still somewhat weak. Instead of focusing on herself and doing what she would like, she constantly worries about his condition, and has to submit to his illness. Because he is a man, in this sense, she is submitting to a higher power in the gender hierarchy. At this time, stereotypically, men had a considerably higher position than women in society. Rezia’s life revolves around her husband, and as she plays the role as the “proper” caring wife, she neglects to see herself as a true individual female, but rather play the role assigned to her by society, just like Mrs. Dalloway and Laura Brown.
However, when comparing Mrs. Dalloway, Rezia, and Laura Brown to more dynamic, or bolder female characters, such as Lady Bruton and Miss Kilman, it is clear that the complacent and stereotypical lifestyle of a woman is not the only one. While Mrs. Dalloway and Laura Brown are restricted in their abilities and power over their lives, Lady Bruton and Miss Kilman are much more resolute and decisive, seeming to have more control over who they are. Lady Bruton and Miss Kilman seem to think more for themselves, whereas Mrs. Dalloway, Laura Brown, and Rezia’s lives revolve around their husbands and playing the role of a proper wife. Mrs. Kilman actually disdains lavish parties and feels bad for people like Mrs. Dalloway who spend their lives focused on such superficial tasks. However, her pity is somewhat questionable, because at times, she too seems insecure, and as if she dislikes Mrs. Dalloway, because she is not as privileged as her. Despite this though, Lady Bruton and Miss Kilman do not mention their husbands, if they have any. Thus, they are not juxtaposed to men in a way that makes them seem inferior. In fact Lady Bruton and Miss Kilman can be considered “more masculine” in their opinions and speech. They say and think things that contain significance, things that the men in the novel are usually concerned with Mrs. Dalloway is somewhat intimidated by lady bruton, maybe because of this determined and resolute attitude, which contrasts to Mrs. Dalloway’s own weakness and complacency. Thus Lady Bruton and Miss Kilman appear to be superior to Mrs. Dalloway, Laura Brown, and Rezia in the way that they take control of their lives and are able to separate themselves from only serving a typical female housewife role.
Although Mrs. Dalloway, Laura Brown, and Rezia seem to make even slight acknowledgements to the fact that their lives are not as complete as they should and can be, they do not seek to really do anything about their complacency in life. Thus often time the role society assigns to people, especially when it relates to specific genders, can cause them to remain in that role if they cannot break through stereotypical boundaries.