A Study of Mind Style in Mrs.Dalloway

【Abstract】Mrs.Dalloway，one of the masterpieces of Virginia Woolf，is commonly regarded as a great work by many critics.This thesis takes a selection from it as an object of study，attempting to present a linguistic and cognitive analysis of the mind style of Clarissa Dalloway，in which consistent recurring structural patterns reveal her interpretation and conceptualization of the world and account for different stylistic effects.

【Key words】Mrs.Dalloway； mind style

1.Introduction

Published in 1925，the novel Mrs.Dalloway was Virginia Woolf’s first attempt to put her original ideas into practice，for she believed that the modern novel should reflect the inner life of its characters.During the course of a single June day，the novel started with Clarissa Dalloway’s going out to buy flowers，and ended as the party began to fade at around midnight.There is neither exciting story nor interesting plot in the novel.Instead，it is mainly about the thoughts and ideas of different characters.The present thesis takes a selection from it as an object of study，attempting to present a linguistic and cognitive analysis of the mind style of Clarissa Dalloway，in which consistent recurring structural patterns reveal her interpretation and conceptualization of the world and account for different stylistic effects.

2.An Analysis of Mrs.Dalloway’s Mind Style

The term “mind style” was first introduced by Rodger Fowler in his Linguistics and the Novel （1977：256）.According to him，the “mind style” refers to the way in which consistent linguistic patterns in a text can create a particular world-view，a characteristic way of perceiving，understanding and conceptualizing the textual “world”.Leech and Short basically agreed with Fowler，yet they had their own interpretation，regarding a mind style as the way in which the fictional world “is apprehended，or conceptualized”，relating it to what they call “conceptual variation” （Leech and Short，1981：191）.

For the linguistic analysis of the text the paper follows the models originated by R.Fowler，G.Leech and M.Short.In order to appreciate Clarissa’s mind style，it is worthwhile to examine the linguistic patterns typical of her.

2.1 Lexical Level

At this level，the thesis is mainly concerned with verbs.Clarissa’s language at the lexical level is marked by her profuse use of frequent use of present participles，static verb “be” and modal verbs.

2.1.1 Use of Present Participles

From the beginning，Clarissa’s internal point of view has been presented often by means of free indirect thoughts.The most salient characteristic of her lexicon is the use of present participles.Examples：

1） Like a nun withdrawing，or a child exploring a tower，she…

2） There was the green linoleum and a tap dripping.

3） …and lying there reading，for she slept badly…

Most dictionaries state that participles are meant only to help describe a condition by serving as modifiers，to describe a manner，a cause or motive，and to indicate general relationships.There is a sense of timelessness and repetition （Wright and Hope，1996）.More specifically，participles tend to attenuate human energy （Minow-Pinkney，1987）.

2.1.2 Use of Verb “Be”

Leech and Short （1981） stated that the copula “be” is a type of state verbs，the use of which gives the impression that what is being described is immobile.Examples：

4） It was not beauty； it was not mind.It was something central which permeated…

5） There was an emptiness about the heart of life...

6） There was the green linoleum and a tap dripping.

As a result，by using participles and the copula “be”， activity is reduced to contemplative stasis.Therefore，such consistent patterns in Clarissa’s thoughts reveal that she tends to lead a quiet，inactive and static life，having a static mind style that is lack of actions and passion.She has an exaggerated need for security.

2.1.3 Use of Modal Verbs

Modal verbs often give us the impression of obedience.It is not difficult to find the modal verbs everywhere.Examples：

7） Women must put off their rich apparel.At midday they must disrobe.

8） …that she must sleep undisturbed.

9） …yet she could not resist sometimes yielding to the charm of a woman…

As is shown，Clarissa has no intention to change the status quo.She can see through the world，yet she prefers to accept it as it is.The external objective world has little influence on her independent soul，and thus she is able to bear the sufferings in the world.

2.2 Syntactic Level

Fowler （1977：104） once observed that： “surface syntax is used to dramatize the structure of characters’ and narrators’ conscious thoughts”.In other words，syntax can reveal the characters’ deep thoughts.Therefore，it is helpful to analyze the characters’ mind styles by studying their consistent syntactic patterns.

2.2.1 Parenthetical structures

Clarissa’s free indirect thoughts are characterized by a consistent occurrence of parenthetical structures，which reveals her complicated and complex thinking pattern.Examples：

10） Lovely in girlhood，suddenly there came a moment---for example on the river beneath the woods at Clieveden---when，through some contraction of this cold spirit，she had failed him.

11） It was over---the moment.Against such moments （with women too） there contrasted （as she laid her hat down） the bed and…

As illustrated，dashes and parentheses are parenthetical elements that frequently appear in Clarissa’s thoughts.The major effect of such structures in Clarissa’s thoughts is that they slow down the pace of thinking.Therefore，we can sense that Clarissa has a tranquil and logical mind style and she interpreters the society around her in her own way leisurely，not in a rush.

2.2.2 Parallelism

Parallelism is a prominent feature in Clarissa’s representation of her thoughts.The syntactic or phrasal repetition not only draws the readers’ sharp attention，but also achieves striking effects that the writer or character wants to achieve.In the selection，Clarissa’s language shows such a feature.Examples：

12） It was not beauty； it was not mind.

13） It was something central which permeated； something warm which broke up surfaces and rippled the cold contact of man and woman or of women together.

14） But the close withdrew； the hard softened.

Clarissa’s repetitions of phrasal structures achieve emphatic effects.The use of parallelism makes her certain thoughts more salient and significant to us，highlighting what impresses her most deeply or what she regards as the most important.In such expressions，we can actually see and hear the shape of the ideas expressed，thus revealing a normal mind.As we can see，the use of paralleled structures also leads to alliteration，which reveals her poetic mind.

2.3 Textual Level

Leech and Short （1981） stated that an examination of textual relations in the characters’ language can reveal the character’s mind styles as well.

2.3.1 Cohesive devices

The outstanding device to achieve cohesion and logicality in Clarissa’s language is the frequent use of the conjunction “for” and “and”.Examples：

15） For the House sat so long that Richard insisted…

16） … for she slept badly，she could not dispel a virginity…

17） And really she preferred to read of the retreat from Moscow.

18） And then at Constantinople，and again and again.

As shown，nearly all “Fors” and “Ands” in Clarissa’s language function as clausal subordinating conjunctions，indicating the logicality and rationality of Clarissa’s mind.

2.3.2 Rhetoric of Text

Clarissa’s response to life and experience is always given in physical terms.In other words，she has a tendency to translate her emotions into physical metaphors，which are indistinguishable from the emotion itself.Examples：

19） Like a nun withdrawing，or a child exploring a tower，she went upstairs，paused at the window…

20） …she could not dispel a virginity preserved through childbirth which clung to her like a sheet.

21） It was a sudden revelation，a tinge like a blush which one tried to check and then…

As is shown，Clarissa adopts metaphors to transfer her abstract emotional feelings into concrete physical senses.Whenever she feels something，it is her body or parts of her body that first goes through the feeling.Clarissa does not lose her awareness of the outside world as something external to herself while she responds to it at a physical level.The physical response does not，in her case，become so overwhelming that it subsumes the reality that induces it.In this sense，it can be inferred that Clarissa is quite logical and rational.

3.Conclusion

After the analysis of the linguistic patterns characteristic of Clarissa，it is found that her consistent and extraordinary choice of syntax，lexicon and metaphor reveals her complicated，tranquil，poetical yet creative mind.She is not a single，coherent character，but a complicated，contradictory person who has a changing，contradictory，yet tranquil，and poetical mind style.From Clarissa’s mind style，it can be inferred that the novel emphasizes Clarissa’s strengths，especially her love of life and respect for the privacy of the soul，over her lack of passion.Clarissa not only keeps her independence and privacy of the soul，but also keeps her social self by organizing parties and engaging in the social life.The detailed analysis of Clarissa’s mind style has provided new perspectives for readers and analysts to understand the heroine and to appreciate Virginia Woolf’s creative ways of depicting the “true reality” through characterization.

References：

[1]Fowler，R.Linguistics and the Novel[M].London： Methuen，1977.

[2]Leech，G.N.and Michael H.Short.Style in Fiction：A Linguistic Introduction to English Fictional Prose[M].London：Longman Group Ltd.，1981.

[3]Minow-Pinkney，Makiko.Virginia Woolf and the Problem of the Subject[M].Kent：The Harvester Press，1987.

[4]Woolf，V.Mrs.Dalloway[M].London：Granada Publishing Limited，1978.

[5]Wright，Laura and Hope，Jonathan.Stylistics：A Practical Course book[M].Beijing：Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press，2000.