Clarissa's Doubts: Could've, Should've, Would've
While reading Mrs. Dalloway, I was struck that Clarissa is always doubting herself and putting herself down. She wishes she was different and thinks about what her life would have been like if she had made different decisions. One thought that is continually running through Clarissa’s mind is the possibility of what would have happened if she had married Peter and how that might have changed her life. Clarissa is constantly thinking about what kind of life she could have led if she had made different choices earlier in life. Perhaps this is because she is not fully content with where her life is at the moment. She is always doubting herself wishing she was different. She says that she does not think “herself clever” (10). She is also worried about her appearance and wishes that she was more beautiful, even commenting that she has a “narrow pea-stick figure; a ridiculous little face” (10). She never seems to be able to put this self-doubt out of her head. Clarissa mentions that she f...