Characters

Clarissa Dalloway - the main character. Richard Dalloway - Clarissas husband. Elizabeth Dalloway - Clarissa and Richards only child. Doris Kilman - Elizabeths history teacher. Peter Walsh - A close friend of Clarissas. Septimus Warren Smith - A World War I veteran . Lucrezia Smith - Septimuss wife

 Hugh Whitbread - Clarissas old friend. Sally Seton - A close friend of Clarissa and Peter in their youth. Sir William Bradshaw - A famous London psychiatrist. Lady Bruton - A member of high society and a friend of the Dalloways. Miss Helena Parry - Clarissas aunt . Ellie Henderson - Clarissas cousin.

Plot
The entire action happens in one day. It starts in the morning and stops during the evening. The action begins with Clarissa Dalloway, a rich woman,who walks to the flower shop to buy flowers for the party she will host that evening. She recalls her past and enjoys a thoughtful day through the busy London. During her trip past and present became one and the entire action submits to Mrs. Dalloways thoughts. On her way to the flower shop she meets her good friend Hugh Whitbread, from who she finds out that his wife Evelyn is not well, again.

After saying goodbye to Hugh, present and past became again one sequence and Clarissa remembers of Peter Walsh, an old lover who she had refused to marry, many years ago when she was eighteen. She also contemplates about her daughter Elisabeth, who is not a fashion lover and spends her time with Miss Kilman, her history teacher and reads prayer books. She thinks that her daughter might be in love with Miss Kilman.

She arrives at the flower shop and decides what flowers to buy. During this time a car breaks down right in front of the flower shop and everybody starts wondering if the queen or the prime minister is in that car. While everybody were agitating Septimus Warren Smith and his wife Lucrezia were trying to find their way through the traffic jam. He suffers from shell shock, a mental illness brought on by the horrors of war, and believes he is responsible for the traffic congestion the passing car causes.

His wife Rezia or Lucrezia tries to get him out of there because she cannot stand to him so broken and since he has threatened to kill himself she is quite lost. They are waiting for Septimuss appointment with Sir William Bradshaw, a celebrated psychiatrist. After Mrs. Dalloway buys the flowers she returns back home were she finds out that her husband Richard was invited to have lunch at Lady Brutons house without her.

The past comes again in her mind and she remembers of Sally Seton, a wild, cigarette-smoking, dark-haired rebel. Clarissa also admits in her mind that she feels sexual attraction to women. But than she returns back to the present and starts to mend the green dress she will wear that night. After a while the front doorbell rings, and Peter Walsh surprises Clarissa with an unexpected visit. He says he is in town to arrange a divorce for his young fiance, Daisy, who lives in India and has two children.

Moved by the memories of his love and the touch of Clarissas hands Peter bursts into tears. To comfort him Clarissa kisses him. Peter ask Clarissa if she is happy with Richard but doesnt get the opportunity to answer because Elizabeth walks in the room. As Peter leaves, Clarissa calls after him, Remember my party tonight! In the moment he leaves the house, the past interferes with his emotions. He remembers how he was rejected by Clarissa and how that moment changed his life. Tough he is in love with Daisy he cannot go on. The past keeps on haunting him.

While Peter is waiting in Regents Park he watches a child running in Rezias legs. She helps the child to get up and than she asks Septimus to wake up from his delusional moment in which he says people are tricky. For Peter, Septimus and Lucrezia are just a young couple having a fight. The young woman is disturbed by the illness of her husband. She wants children, but she knows she will never have because her husband doesnt want to bring children in this nightmare called life. The action moves again to Peter, who contemplates Clarissas life.

The moment of the action moves back to Lucrezia and Septimus who are having a meeting with William Bradshaw,the psychiatrist. Lucrezia is eager to meet this doctor because she believes he will help her husband. The meeting was quite a disaster because, in Reizas conception, the doctor had failed. Septimus wanted to share the crime he had committed but Bradshaw didnt allow him to. He suggested that he should rest at the country side, far away from his wife. He even suggested that having a child would be a stupid idea.

On the other side of the city, on Oxford Street, Hugh Whitbread is having lunch with Richard Dallawoy and Lady Bruton. They were invited to talk business but after lunch. Lady Bruton tells them that Peter Walsh is back in town and they remember the fact that he was in love to Clarissa. In his mind, Richard, decides that he should go home and tell Clarissa that he loves her. He feels threatened. After lunch Lady Bruton tells them that they were called there to help her in writing a letter to a newspaper about the emigration to Canada. Richard is going to write the letter. They set up the issue and the gentlemen live but not before reminding Lady Burton about Clarissas party.

On his way home Richard decides to buy a bouquet of roses to Clarissa. When he arrives home he understands that he cannot tell Clarissa I love you. Clarissa is upset by the fact that her cousin, Ellie Henderson is coming to the party and her daughter Elizabeth is praying with Miss Kilman. She feels that this party is not going to be one of the best. Most than that Richard criticized her about having so many parties. She loves parties because she loves life.Clarissa starts contemplating again about past and Peter.

But she is interrupted by Elizabeth who comes to tell her that she is going out shopping with Miss Kilman, who is waiting Elizabeth outside. The action focuses now on Kilmans thoughts. She is mentally disturbed because she has German roots. She hates Clarissa for being rich and having Elizabeth next to her. Clarissa tries to greet Miss Kilman but she ignores her. The two young women leave and Clarissa thinks about Miss Kilmans hatred.

After they went shopping Elizabeth refuses to stay with Miss Kilman and returns back with an omnibus because she knows that her mother will need her for the party. The action goes further to Rezia and Septimus. Everything seems to go on fine but finally, Septimus commits suicide. He throws himself of from the window. An ambulance called to pick up Septimus rushes right next to Peter Walsh. He is going to the hotel to prepare for the party. He goes again back into the past and thinks about Clarissas decision of not getting married with him. She thinks about his young fianc, Daisy, who makes a steady choice of getting married with him. While he is walking towards Mrs. Dalloways party he thinks how much the civilization had developed. He arrives at the party.

At the Dalloway house the party its on its place. There was good food and heavy people. Everybody, except Rezia and Septimus are at this party. Clarissa is afraid that her party will be a failure. An unexpected guest arrives at the party, Lady Rosseter, who turns out to be Sally. Clarissa is thrilled by this visit and she finds that this party is actually a success. She finds out by Septimus and she retires into a small room where she contemplates about this suicide. She find herself happy for Septimus and thinks of death like freedom. She goes back to the party where Sally and Petter are gossiping about the past and the future. Sally decides to greet Richard and Peter stops at the sight of Clarissa.