Like the birds on the curtain that blows back and forth during the party, we flit in and out of the party. First we are in the mind of one of the guests, then we are above and listening to that guest speak; we note incongruities, Virginia Woolf's satiric touches, then move on to another guest. The pace is fast, the tempo is party-like. Out of scraps and impressions, this scene is constructed to give us the noise, the smells, the rhythm of a party, and to give us omniscience. We note the mannered fraudulence and dramatic ironies. Most of the novel's cast are here, brought together for a moment in time, as Virginia Woolf ties together the narrative threads of her novel.
Among some of the incongruities and dramatic ironies, we note Elizabeth Dalloway wearing the necklace her father gave her. Her mother, remember, has never been satisfied by Richard's choice of jewelry; Richard gave Clarissa a bracelet once but she has never worn it. And, while on the subject of Elizabeth, note that while she is standing, elegantly and handsomely adorning the party as the Dalloways' daughter, she radiates composed loveliness: she knows she does. People compare her to a lily or a willow: she knows they do. Yet she never betrays her lack of interest in her mother's party or her continuing concern over her dog, which has been shut up for the evening. We see surface impressions, then dive inward and see an entirely different sort of reality. Virginia Woolf has continually taken us backstage. And it is literally backstage that we begin the party scene. This section begins with the maids bustling and worrying. Foods are described and the comedy among the cooks and the servants is recorded; the party preparations are solid support for Virginia Woolf's impressionistic style; they anchor the scene and give it balance. Then, besides cleverly taking us through the kitchen before we are admitted to the party, Virginia Woolf slyly slips in Peter Walsh's entrance to the party. It would be easy to overlook his entrance for he is included with several "Lords" and "Ladies" and "Sirs" and only his last name is announced by Wilkins.
