2011年2月23日 星期三

On Woolf: Question 3


3. What was Clarissa's relationship with Sally Seton? What is the significance of Sally's reentry into Clarissa's life after so much time? What role does Sally play in Clarissa's past and in her present?

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  1. Q. What was Clarissa's relationship with Sally Seton?

    Clarissa's relationship with Sally was intimate when they were young. Having boyish dispositions, Sally was quite wild and straightforward to others. Clarissa was attracted by her characteristics: "she always envied--a sort of abandonment, as if she could say anything, do anything. a quality much commoner in foreigners than in Englishwoman" (48). She was even wondering if such feeling was love: "Had not that, after all, been love?" (48). As Clarissa pointed out, this feeling "was not like one's feeling for a man", it only existed between women who just grown up.

    Therefore, from Clarissa's point of view, it can be assumed that she admires Sally for her bold and unconventional quality. Of course physically Clarissa knew that she couldn't love a girl, but spiritually she seemed to fall in love with Sally, the tomboy-like figure.

    On the other hand, Sally's characteristics might arose Clarissa's desire to act freely like men did in that period of time. They talked about the ways of changing the world--they could be the ways to overthrow the unfair system for women. This was why she wanted to protect Sally because not many girls would be like her: "It was protective, on her side; sprang from a sense of being in league together, ... , this protective feeling which was much more on her side than Sally's" (50).

    According to the text, Clarissa did have great affection toward Sally and she loved to have her around thought her father didn't like her much. From the reaction Sally had for Clarissa, Sally seemed to join the time with her too. Consequently, Clarissa's relationship with Sally was quite well and intimate.

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