Clarissa and Septimus are not successful in their marriage. Clarissa did not marry for standard romantic love, she has chosen a safe, comfortable marriage to politician Richard Dalloway over the more romantic and adventurous Peter Walsh. Her decision to marry Richard allows her the party-going social life she loves, without any risks. More importantly, her marriage to Richard allows her "a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house; which Richard gave her...But with Peter everything had to be shared...it was intolerable."(9) However, their marriage is doomed since complete communication is impossible for both of them. Though Richard is anxious to express his love to Clarissa, he fails because he has the shyness and awkwardness of a young man. Impossible for Clarissa because of her coldness and her pervasive realism. There is a gulf between them, which Clarissa, at least, is not interested in crossing.

Poetic techniques are constantly used to relate Clarissa and Spetimus in the novel. Big Ben is a sound image of great symbolic importance linking the activities of the two. Throughout the day, it counts out the hours, marking the progress of Clarissa and Septimus: "It was precisely twelve o'clock, twelve by Big Ben...twelve o'clock struck as Clarissa Dalloway laid her green dress on her bed, and the Warren Smiths walked down Harley Street. Twelve was their hour of their appointment"(122). Towards the evening, the strikes of Big Ben mark the climax of their journeys. Clarissa's party is about to begin while Septimus is undergoing a nervous breakdown and eventually commits suicide.

Apart from water, rose is also used as imagery to reveal the essential differences and similarities between Clarissa and Septmius. The novel begins when Clarissa goes to the florist to "buy the flowers herself"(3) for the party, indicating that she belongs to a class that can afford the beautiful and frivolous. Septimus's wife, on the other hand, can only buy the half death roses. Septimus is like his roses, "almost dead already"(121). He will be destroyed, either through losing his selfhood by accepting Sir William's advice or killing himself. As exemplified by the roses, the society demands that "the unusual conform or wither." Septimus, who finds himself utterly alienated by civilization's "sense of proportion,"(129) cannot survive in a utilitarian society where the upper class dominated. For Clarissa, there is also the possibility the she will be sacrificed to the dominant class As Peter worries, she might trust too much to her charm in making the world beautiful. Sally also fears that Clarissa "lacked something"(243) to survive if she let her nature of roses predominates.

Clarissa and Septimus rely heavily on the support from their spouses even though their marriages are not successful. Madness cuts off Septimus from nearly all real human contact and Rezia is his only hope for a cure. Any attempt to separate him from her is a threat to his existence. Septimus feels that "he was deserted"(121) when Dr Holmes invited Rezia to tea. In the same way, Clarissa feels "herself suddenly shrivelled, aged, breastless"(39) when Lady Bruton invited her husband to lunch without her.

Ruotolo, Lucio P. (Stanford University Press, 1986.)

Throughout "Mrs. Dalloway," there are important parallels as well as contrasts between the characters of Clarissa and Septimus. Although the final communion of Clarissa and her "double" is achieved without a "physical confrontation,

Some common words found in the essay are:
Clarissa Septimus, Walsh Cold, Despite Clarissa, Clarissa Sally, Sir William's, Septimus Clarissa, Peter Walsh, Hearing Septimus', Warren Smith, Impossible Clarissa, clarissa septimus, motor car, septimus clarissa, suicidal impulses, poetic techniques, evening party, parallels contrasts, central coldness, clarissa double, perfect hostess,
Approximate Word count = 2374
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)