5. Mrs. Dalloway

"The ideas were Sally's...read Plato in bed...read Shelley by the hour" (33).

Virginia Woolf includes Plato and Shelley into her novel to depict the free-spirit and intellect of Clarissa's friend, Sally. Sally is described as knowing a lot about everything, or at least more than Clarissa. Plato lived from 429 till 347 B.C.E. He was an Athenian citizen and held a high status. He is a well known philosopher of his time, and even today. When Virginia Woolf references Shelley, she could either be speaking of Mary Shelley, or her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. They are both very influential and powerful writers of their time. Percy wrote romantic poems, while Mary wrote intriguing stories. The words they use in their creations behold many messages and important themes. By using Plato and Shelley, Woolf was trying to express the intelligence of Sally. She is a very bright girl and gained her knowledge from some of the best people recorded in history. Plato and Shelley are also both very influential writers so Virginia Woolf may have included them in her novel to describe how strong willed Sally is throughout the book.

"Plato." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 26 September 2009. 19 September 2009.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato/

"Percy Bysshe Shelley." The Literature Network. 26 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.online-literature.com/shelley_percy/