Social Class and Repression in Woolf’s London Society

How Virginia Woolf Unmasks the Illusions of Post-War British Respectability

In Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf does not simply tell the story of a single day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway—she dissects the social fabric of post-World War I London. Beneath the surface of tea parties, social calls, and upper-class rituals lies a quiet, but powerful critique of a society bound by class, convention, and emotional repression.

Through Clarissa and those around her, Woolf reveals how social structures restrict individual freedom, and how the emotional cost of maintaining appearances can be profound.

The Invisible Walls of Class

London in Mrs Dalloway is not one city—it’s many cities divided by class, wealth, and opportunity:

  • Clarissa Dalloway belongs to the upper class, a woman who “had everything,” yet feels deeply unfulfilled.

  • Her parties and social duties serve as symbolic performances of status, more about preserving hierarchy than genuine connection.

  • In contrast, characters like Miss Kilman, a lower-middle-class woman, exist on the fringe of Clarissa’s world—resentful, envious, and excluded. Kilman’s bitterness reflects the alienation that results from entrenched class divisions.

Woolf critiques a world where privilege creates distance, and where emotional authenticity is sacrificed to the maintenance of social standing.

Emotional Repression as Social Expectation

In Woolf’s London, expressing deep feeling—grief, passion, or vulnerability—is seen as inappropriate, especially for the upper class:

  • Clarissa herself is a master of emotional containment. She reflects on love, loss, and missed chances (especially her feelings for Sally Seton), yet rarely voices these thoughts aloud.

  • Her marriage to Richard Dalloway is respectable but emotionally distant. When he attempts to say “I love you,” he can’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he offers flowers—a gesture full of symbolism but lacking in verbal intimacy.

This emotional restraint isn’t just personal—it’s cultural. The upper class maintains dignity through emotional repression, often at the cost of inner fulfillment.

Peter Walsh and the Class Divide of Desire

Peter Walsh, Clarissa’s former suitor, embodies the tension between passion and propriety:

  • Though still in love with Clarissa, Peter is plagued by insecurity and dissatisfaction. He oscillates between emotional openness and judgment.