* was educated largely at home
* she took classes in Greek and History at King's College
* married Leonard Woolf, the son of a barrister and they had no children by choice
* also had lesbian affairs
* liked to smoke cigarettes in a long holder
* hated shopping
* was a voluntary worker for the Women's Suffrage office
* was mentally unstable, hearing voices and suffering several nervous breakdowns
* repeatedly tried to drown herself
* had the jackets of her books designed by her sister Vanessa Bell
* died by drowning (suicide) aged 59
(Source: Private Lives)
STUDY QUESTIONS - TO THE LIGHTHOUSE
1. Try to summarize the main story of the novel To the Lighthouse.
2. Who are the main characters? Compare and contrast the major ones.
3. What is the main conflict of the novel?
4. Comment on the structure / formal aspects of the novel.
5. What role does time play in the novel? Is time treated in the same way in every part of the novel?
6. What narrative technique does Virginia Woolf use? What effect does it have on the reader? Can the reader benefit in any way from the narrative technique used?
7. Interpret the symbolical meaning of Lilly’s painting and of the lighthouse.
8. Do you find any signs of a feministic discourse in the text?
STUDY QUESTIONS - MRS DALLOWAY
1. Try to summarize the main story of the novel.
2. Who are the main characters? Compare and contrast the major ones.
3. What is the main conflict of the novel?
4. Comment on the structure / formal aspects of the novel.
5. What role does time play in the novel? Is time treated in the same way in every part of the novel?
6. What narrative technique does Virginia Woolf use? What effect does it have on the reader? Can the reader benefit in any way from the narrative technique used?
7. Do you find any signs of a feministic discourse in the text?
8. What is the time span the novel covers?
9. How are different actions and characters linked together?
10. Try to find some symbols in the text.
11. What is the relation between Clarissa and Septimus? Discuss her reaction when she finds out about his suicide. What does it imply?
1. Try to summarize the main story of the novel To the Lighthouse.
2. Who are the main characters? Compare and contrast the major ones.
3. What is the main conflict of the novel?
4. Comment on the structure / formal aspects of the novel.
5. What role does time play in the novel? Is time treated in the same way in every part of the novel?
6. What narrative technique does Virginia Woolf use? What effect does it have on the reader? Can the reader benefit in any way from the narrative technique used?
7. Interpret the symbolical meaning of Lilly’s painting and of the lighthouse.
8. Do you find any signs of a feministic discourse in the text?
STUDY QUESTIONS - MRS DALLOWAY
1. Try to summarize the main story of the novel.
2. Who are the main characters? Compare and contrast the major ones.
3. What is the main conflict of the novel?
4. Comment on the structure / formal aspects of the novel.
5. What role does time play in the novel? Is time treated in the same way in every part of the novel?
6. What narrative technique does Virginia Woolf use? What effect does it have on the reader? Can the reader benefit in any way from the narrative technique used?
7. Do you find any signs of a feministic discourse in the text?
8. What is the time span the novel covers?
9. How are different actions and characters linked together?
10. Try to find some symbols in the text.
11. What is the relation between Clarissa and Septimus? Discuss her reaction when she finds out about his suicide. What does it imply?
Clarissa and Sally
