Lara's English Class Blog

 Although Jake likes to claim he is some sort of big macho man, many events in the book make it clear that he is in fact, the opposite. The loss of his uh, manhood, has left him not only physically, but also psychologically damaged. In a way that he feels the need to make up for. One of the ways this insecurity makes itself clear is through Jake's treatment of Robert Cohn. A man who he seems to look down upon, but still is insanely jealous of.  Cohn is Jewish and considered a sort of outsider in the group. He is old-fashioned and serious in a way the other members of the group dislike. So, they seize on him as an opportunity to release their own insecurities. He tries to win Brett, much like the other men in the group, but the manner in which he does it (differently, and old-fashioned) makes him the object of mockery for the characters as a whole.  Jake in particular is very resentful of Cohn, calling his trip with Brett "charity" on her part. He seems incredibly angry th...

  Since we met Richard in Mrs. Dalloway I’ve been considering whether he truly loves Clarissa or not, and it’s become quite clear to me now that Richard definitely does love Clarissa.  The clearest piece of evidence I have is simply considering the values during the time Mrs. Dalloway is set in. In the 1920s, many husbands not only didn’t respect their wives, they abused them physically and emotionally because they thought they were completely entitled to that. Even then, when it wasn’t very frowned upon, husbands beating and abusing their wives was not out of love. It was purely about exerting their control over women. Richard is a breath of fresh air compared to these types of husbands. From all that we’ve seen, Richard does not think of Clarissa as his possession or an object. In reality, it’s the exact opposite. Richard feels grateful and lucky to be married to Clarissa and he thinks his life is great because of his relationship with her.  The other main reason I thi...