Identity Struggles in The Great Gatsby and Mrs. Dalloway Essay

Identity Struggles in The Great Gatsby and Mrs. Dalloway

F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and Virginia Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway both present the argument that our surroundings, physical environment and human relationships impact the notion of self or personal identity. Furthermore, they both claim that society acts as a mirror, and that in life, humans cannot fully understand their identity until they see it reflected back to us by the mirror of others, at which time they are able to internalized it and reflect upon it. This theme is prominent throughout both novels, and is reflected in the actions of nearly all of the characters. It is especially evident, however, in the characters of Septimus and Clarissa in Mrs. Dalloway, as well as Gatsby and Nick in The Great Gatsby. Overall, through characterization and insight into past experiences of characters, both authors introduce the notion that outside factors such as location and relationships influence ones concept of their personal identity, and thus society serves as a mirror for self-identity.

In both Mrs. Dalloway and The Great Gatsby, the authors present the claim that society acts as a mirror in which characters self-identity is reflected. At the most fundamental level, a reflection of our face in a mirror is made up of simple lines, depths, and contours that are perceived by the eye. Our brain then converts this into the more identifiable symbols of eyes, nose, cheeks, and lips. Ultimately, these symbols combine to form an image of our own face. Although it is possible for us to gain an understanding of our physical appearance through the sensation of touch, a reflection, symbolizing larger reality, is necessary for us to get a full understanding of our physical selves in their entirety. Thus, we cannot wholly comprehend our identity until we are able to view in the mirror of others. This is particularly evident in Mrs. Dalloway. While the characters have only a limited perspective of one another, they create a self-identity through their various reflections in the eyes of others. Clarissa Dalloway particularly demonstrates this claim. Throughout the course of the novel, the reader follows the development of her self-identity, and observes how her contact with the outside world affects this development. This is especially evident in the relationship between herself and Septimus. While the two characters know barely anything about the other, Woolf created Septimus as Clarissas double, and throughout the book he has echoed her thoughts and feelings. Upon hearing the news of Septimuss death, Woolf writes that Clarissa Felt somehow very like him the young man who had killed himself. She felt glad that he had done it; thrown it away. The clock was striking. The leaden circles dissolved in the air. He made her feel the beauty; made her feel the fun. But she must go back. She must assemble (Woolf). This is a glaring example of how the outside event of Septimuss suicide has caused Clarissa to reconsider her personal identity.

Septimus Warren Smith, himself, also exemplifies the notion that outside factors such as location and relationships impact ones concept of self-identity. Septimus is a veteran of World War I and suffers from shell shock, and thus, he is absorbed in his own internal world in his mind. His doctor has requested that Lucrezia, his wife, make Septimus notice things outside himself, but Septimus has removed himself from the physical world. Instead, he lives in an internal world, in which he has conversations with his dead, war friend Evans, and sees and hears things that are not really there. He does not always accept reality. For example, as Woolf writes, When Evans was killed, just before the Armistice, in Italy, Septimus, far from showing any emotion or recognizing that here was the end of a friendship, congratulated himself upon feeling very little and very reasonably. The War had taught him. It was sublime (Woolf). The fact that Septimus has removed himself from the outside world and retreated into an internal one is a direct result of post-war trauma, and it has caused Septimus to view the world and society differently. For example, he appreciates the beauty of the world, but feels that the people in it have no capability for honesty or kindness. He views the world outside of his mind as threatening, and his outlook on the world is bleak and offers little hope. Finally, tired of a world that he believes is false and unreal, he commits suicide. Septimus is therefore meant to represent the consequences of non-conformity and disregard for the reflection the society provides. Because he does not alter his personal identity based on the responses of other characters, he winds up misunderstood and alone, and eventually commits suicide.

Another example of how society serves as a mirror for self-identity, as outside factors influence ones concept of personal identity is Clarissas role-playing. Clarissa takes on many different roles and plays various characters to many different people, thus causing her appearance to be made up of many differing and even conflicting features. Woolf depicts Clarissa getting ready for her party as Collecting the whole of her at one point (as she looked into the glass), seeing the delicate pink face of the woman who was that very night to give a party; of Clarissa Dalloway; of herself (Woolf). There are three images reflected in the mirror. The woman who was the very night to give a party, or the hostess, Clarissa Dalloway, the woman, and the inner or core self, herself, are described in the reflection. Clarissa, though aware of these separate reflections of self, seems reasonably satisfied with the division between internal and external nature until Peter returns unexpectedly. Confronting Peter, someone whom she has known in another lifetime as another rendition of herself, causes her an inner conflict that forces her to reconcile her varying aspects of self. Additionally, the symbolism in this scene is especially obvious, as an actual mirror is depicted.

Mirrors are also a reoccurring motif in The Great Gatsby. Mirrors and reflections are mentioned at least four times throughout the novel, and great attention to detail is given in describing them each time. One particularly note-worthy mention of mirrors in the novel occurs when they are at the hotel suite, when Daisy exclaims Now see here, Tom, said Daisy, turning around from the mirror, if youre going to make personal remarks I wont stay here a minute (Fitzgerald). The acknowledgement of the mirror is purposeful here. Daisy suddenly turns away from the mirror, which represents how she is viewed by society, and stands up for Gatsby. This event symbolizes her brief moment of escaping to indifference of how she is seen by society.

Gatsby is another key illustration of how surroundings, physical environments and human relationships impact the notion of self-identity. Essentially everything that Gatsby does is an attempt to win Daisy back, and therefore, this relationship causes him to attempt to change everything about his personal identity. His accumulation of wealth, his purchase of an extravagant mansion on West Egg, and his elaborate weekly parties are all simply a means to gain her back. He even creates the character of Jay Gatsby for himself, born James Gatz. Similar to Clarissa, Gatsby has several versions of himself. Jay Gatsby is the character that society sees and know, but James Gatz is the core self. Therefore, outside factors, Daisys imperative to marry only wealthy, respected men, influenced Gatsbys concept of personal identity, causing him to create a whole new life for himself. The mysteriousness of Gatsby also adds to his characterization. Gatsby does not realize that he does not have anyone close to him until later on in the novel, when Fitzgerald writes Flushed with his impassioned gibberish, he saw himself standing alone on the last barrier of civilization (Fitzgerald). It is at this point, when that he sees his reflection in the mirror of society, and realizes how alone he truly is.

Nick is another character who illustrates the concept of personal identity. As the narrator of the novel, Nick presents a varied reaction to life on the East Coast, and it leads to a dominant internal conflict that is not resolved until the end of the novel. On the one hand, Nick is engrossed in the fast-paced, carefree lifestyle of New York. At the other end of the spectrum, he finds this lifestyle grotesque and harmful. Nick claims that a quality of distortion (Fitzgerald) of life in New York, causes him lose his equilibrium, especially early in the novel, as when he gets drunk at the apartment party in chapter two. Furthermore, this internal conflict is symbolized throughout the novel by Nicks romance with Jordan Baker. He is drawn to her liveliness and refinement just as he is driven away by her deceitfulness and her selfishness. These things both cause an inner conflict between the different versions of himself, causing him to question his self-identity.

All in all, through the use of various characters and characterization, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Virginia Woolf effectively prove the point that factors such as surroundings, physical environment and human relationships, existing outside of ones mind, impact the notion of self-identity. Furthermore, they both claim that society serves as a mirror, and the reflection provided by this mirror greatly impacts ones concept of their personal identity. Thus, both The Great Gatsby and Mrs. Dalloway argue that characters develop their self-identity in tandem with their contact with the outside world.