Movie and Book

"Regarding race or gender or sexuality, one of the great things about art and music is that they can provide people with very little else in common with a similar entry point for discussion, but the discussions still need to happen for life to get more interesting."
-Tunde Adebimpe

Sexuality, while gaining momentum, remains a taboo topic. The differences between gender, sex, and sexual identity are not taught in schools, or spoken about frankly in day to day life. The breaching of the topic is groundbreaking today, but must have been an astonishing topic when Virginia Woolf published Mrs. Dalloway. Post World War was a time where social change was occurring drastically. Fashions changed, drugs and alcohol became more popular, and people became more aware of their sexuality. We clearly saw these changes in America while reading The Great Gatsby. In Mrs. Dalloway we see the world mostly through the eyes of the old rich, people previously flourishing and content in the traditional workings of the world. Richard, Clarissa, Huges, Lady B., and their party guests are resistant to change. Elizabeth represents the youth and the choices that are now offered, yet she lacks the conviction and determination to follow through. The only person who thirsts for change is Elizabeth's tutor. Her anger at being wronged, makes her embrace change and try to force it on her student. Miss Kilman's obsession with her charge is a love that will never be returned. Clarissa's feelings for Sally would never be accepted by society, even though the time spent with Sally was the best in Clarissa's life.

The sexuality of the character's was more obviously depicted in the film version. Whenever a kissing scene between two women occurred the class gasped, and some people even covered their eyes. It may be embarrassing to see racy scenes in a movie with people that may only acquaintances, but I was disappointed by the gap in reactions between a man/woman kissing and two women kissing.  Even though it has been ninety years since Mrs. Dalloway was published, the distance between understanding and accepting different sexual identities seems to have been barley bridged.

The movie does spread awareness about couples of the same gender, it still places those relationships lower than heterosexual ones. Both Kitty and Virginia's friend refuse to acknowledge what happened between them,  a reflection of the opinions of the time. Clarissa is living in modern day New York, but her relationship with Sally is a last resort, a place behind her relationship with Richard.