“Occasionally a Woman”: Redefining Heroism in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and Rebecca West’s The Return of the Soldier
In a problematic dictionary definition, hero is defined as “A man (or occasionally a woman) distinguished by the performance of courageous or noble actions, esp. in battle” (hero, n. 2). Heroes, as per this definition, are depicted in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and Rebecca West’s The Return of the Soldier— war veterans Septimus Smith and Chris Baldry— but although this definition disregards women’s heroism, the female characters, Rezia Smith and Kitty Baldry, are also portrayed as heroes. Septimus and Chris’s time in World War I characterizes them as heroes, but also greatly impacts their livelihood and relationships. Rezia and Kitty, although not war heroes, are depicted as heroic because of the care they show for their husbands, the work they do on the home front, and the way they persist in their individual times of trauma. Therefore, Rezia and Kitty reshape the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of hero, as Woolf and West draw attention to their strength and bravery within Mrs Dalloway and The Return of the Soldier, in contrast to their ‘traditionally’ heroic husbands. This demonstrates an intersection between gender and characterization, as male and female stereotypes are used to define the characters in terms of their actions and emotions.
Septimus Smith and Chris Baldry, World War I veterans, embody the characteristics of a ‘traditional’ hero through the courage and bravery of their service. Their time in the war is not explicitly stated, but is an underlying thematic and characterization element in both novels. In one of the only mentions of Septimus Smith’s time at war, he is described as a highly regarded and decorated veteran. Woolf writes, “he developed manliness; he was promoted; he drew the attention, indeed the affection of his officer, Evans by name” (73). This description demonstrates his significance in the war, but also the perceived notion of heroes being men. His “developed manliness” is paired with his heroic regard, which is comparable to the Oxford English Dictionary definition. Therefore, Septimus being a war hero and a man correlate to demonstrate an intersection between heroism and gender. In addition to Septimus’s achievements, he and Chris both struggle with their individual acceptance of the war and their memory regarding it. For example, Septimus says in response to Dr Holmes, “‘The War?’ the patient asked. The European War— that little shindy of schoolboys with gunpowder? Had he served with distinction? He really forgot. In the War itself, he had failed” (Woolf 81). This thought illustrates how he does not remember the war or his status. It also demonstrates how his thoughts revert back to a perceived image of what the war was— that being “schoolboys with gunpowder.” Therefore, Septimus is unable to recall almost anything from the experience that made him the hero he is.
In comparison, Chris Baldry has a similar, but more extreme, experience with memory loss, “but I have had a long talk with the doctor, who says that he satisfied himself that Chris is suffering from a loss of memory extending over a period of fifteen years” (West 21-22). Even though Chris is diagnosed with memory loss and Septimus is not, they have a similar reaction to their thoughts of the war, “he raised an appalled face from the pages of a history of the war. ‘Jenny, it can’t be true— that they did that— to Belgium? These funny, quiet, stingy people…’ And his soldierly knowledge was as deeply buried as this memory of that awful August” (West 71). This suggests that Chris cannot remember or comprehend what happened during the war, similarly to Septimus. These thoughts, realizations, and faint memories allude to the fact that both men did serve in the war, which therefore makes them heroes. Even though there are no ‘traditionally’ heroic descriptions of battle, their service in general illustrates their heroism.
Just as women are misrepresented in the definition of hero, their contributions to the war are also overlooked, “As the decade came to an end, much of what women had done in the war had faded from immediate memory” (Rowbotham), but Rezia and Kitty work to reshape these understandings in the novels. During the war, many “women appeared doing ‘men’s jobs’” (Rowbotham), some enlisted themselves, and others worked to maintain the home front for when the soldiers returned. Although not direct heroes of the war on the frontline, these women were heroic, brave, and courageous in their taking on of new roles and protecting families at home. Both Rezia and Kitty demonstrate this definition of heroism in different ways. In Mrs Dalloway, Rezia and Septimus did not meet until the end of the war, but she takes care of him and provides him a sense of safety. This is demonstrated when the speaker recounts Septimus meeting Rezia, “scissors rapping, girls laughing, hats being made protected him; he was assured of safety; he had a refuge” (Woolf 74). Due to this, Rezia embodies elements of a hero because she provides safety for Septimus, as he sees the hats she makes as protection. This is not a ‘traditionally’ heroic trait, as per the definition, but Rezia’s care and safety are heroic qualities that work to reshape understandings of what a hero is.
In contrast, Chris does not see Kitty as part of his safety. Instead, since he does not know who she is, he sees her as a stranger in his home, “by the blankness of those eyes which saw […] Kitty not at all save as a stranger who had somehow become a decorative presence in his home and the orderer of his meals he let us know completely where we were” (West 65). Jenny’s thoughts in this moment demonstrate Chris’s mental state, but also the idea that Kitty is taking on a domestic role in the home. Although she is described as a “stranger”, she is still working within the home to help Chris, for example by ordering his meals. Additionally, while Chris was away, Kitty and Jenny took care of their garden, cottages, and rooms within their home. This suggests their heroism and importance in the war by their attention to the home front. For example, after Chris leaves Jenny says, “And then she started a savage raid of domestic efficiency, and made the housemaids cry because the brass handles of the tallboys were not bright enough” (West 23). This illustrates Kitty’s stress and persistence pertaining to the work being done around her home. Her efficiency and force towards the housemaids suggests that she wants everything to be done well for Chris when he returns. Her work during the war at home makes her a hero in a different way than Chris is, but she is still courageous and brave in her choices to maintain their domestic space and business. Even after Chris comes home, she mentions the amount of responsibility they have, “we’ve a lot of responsibilities, you and I. With all the land you’ve bought there’s ever so many people to look after…” (West 29). This suggests Kitty’s willingness to continue to work with Chris to care for their land and guests. Through this, Kitty is depicted as an unsung hero of the war, just as Rezia is by taking care of Septimus.
Not only are Rezia and Kitty unsung heroes of the war due to their role on the home front, but they are heroic because they are able to take care of others while going through their own trauma. Even though Rezia acts as a source of safety for Septimus, their relationship is strained and she has trouble connecting to him. She says to herself, “I can’t stand it any longer […] having left Septimus, who wasn’t Septimus any longer, to say hard, cruel, wicked things, to talk to himself, to talk to a dead man” (Woolf 55). In this moment, Woolf suggests that Rezia is struggling in her relationship. She continually asks herself “Why should she suffer?” (Woolf 55), as a way to demonstrate her frustration. Rezia’s thoughts establish the pain caused by her relationship, which suggests the internal exhaustion in her life. Septimus’s mental deterioration makes her question her life, but she acts as a hero because she continues to care for him. She embodies the elements of a hero because she acts brave in Septimus’s points of weakness, as well as her own. For example, when Septimus commits suicide, Dr Holmes says that, “She must be brave and drink something” (Woolf 127). After this happens, she drinks and goes to sleep in order to demonstrate her bravery to the doctor. Just as the definition of hero does not define Rezia accurately because of her gender, Dr Holmes’s prescription of grief for her also genders her. This is because drinking and going to sleep is not necessarily a ‘brave’ way to deal with trauma, but since she is a woman Dr Holmes continues to say “Let her sleep” (Woolf 128). This suggests that she is characterized and understood by the other characters through a gendered lens, whereas the novel depicts her as being brave and able to handle pain. Since she is illustrated as a strong, resilient woman, Rezia can therefore be understood as a hero in Mrs Dalloway.
In comparison, Kitty is also depicted as a hero by her bravery in facing her own life trauma while still tending to the house and Chris when he returns. Kitty’s trauma pertains to Oliver, her and Chris’s deceased son, as the novel makes reference to her deterioration. Jenny states, “So Kitty lay about like a broken doll, face downward on a sofa with one limp arm dangling to the floor” (West 61). This illustrates Kitty’s struggle in the novel, as she is in denial about Oliver and Chris. Her physical deterioration alludes to her internal struggle, but in lieu of Chris’s state she continues to persist and work in the home for her sanity and for the other characters in the novel. For example, although she is not fond of Margaret, the woman Chris is in love with, she welcomes her into their home as Jenny says that she is “shaking out her cordiality as one shakes out a fan” (West 75). This demonstrates how Kitty is able to act ‘brave’ and courteous in the midst of her own trauma in order to remain hospitable. In these moments, her heroic characteristics are shown by West because she demonstrates strength through moments of pain. For example, when Chris returns and does not know who she is, instead of working against him she tries to work with him to stimulate his memory, “She braced herself with a gallant laugh. ‘How you’ve forgotten,’ she cried, and ran up to him, rattling her keys and looking grave with housewifery” (West 25). In this scene, Kitty is once again fulfilling the domestic role with her “housewifery” and attempting to be strong for Chris, as she laughs when he forgets her instead of visibly being upset. This demonstrates Kitty’s heroic traits and bravery in working to help Chris, while also internally focusing on the pain of losing her child.
Hero, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, lacks an encompassing gendered view of heroism, which the female characters in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and Rebecca West’s The Return of the Soldier work to redefine. In a stereotypically male view of heroism, Septimus Smith and Chris Baldry are heroes due to their service in World War I. In addition, a hero can be defined not only by gender, but in the manner that people or characters act and emote. Rezia Smith and Kitty Baldry encapsulate this new view of heroism as they work to care for their husbands after the war, maintain elements of the home front, and work in accordance with others in lieu of their own personal traumas. These characteristics therefore depict them as the unsung heroes in the novels, as they redirect the focus of heroism from solely being defined as male dominant and war-driven, but through the way in which people act and care for others.
Works Cited
“hero, n. 2.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2018.
Rowbotham, Sheila. "Women and the first world war: a taste of freedom; For many women on the home front, the war years became a springboard to liberation. But with peace came the backlash." Observer, 11 Nov. 2018. Academic OneFile, Accessed 24 Nov. 2018.
West, Rebecca. The Return of the Soldier. Penguin Books, 1998.
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs Dalloway. Oxford University Press, 2009.
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