20th Century Novel - Angelynn

I sometimes feel I might be one of the few who actually don't hate Jake. While the character of Jake is undoubtedly racist and homophobic, I can't help but feel sympathy for him. I haven't been able to pinpoint whether Hemingway intended for us to feel this way towards the protagonist, but there's something raw and heartbreaking hearing Jake's narration. He doesn't let us wonder around his memories and feelings as openly as Clarissa Dalloway, forcing us to explicate from the concise dialogue we often receive. From what I've observed, he is an extremely human character with incredible depth. Hemingway doesn't hide the flaws and imperfections of Jake, but that's exactly what makes him appealing to me. The fact that he doesn't bother to censor himself makes him seem more real to me, and evokes more sympathy from me in comparison to character such as Septimus who is less real. The fact that Jake loves Brett, but is emasculated due to his war injury, ...

During one of our discussions, one of the most interesting topics we discussed was the intricacy of Septimus's mind. Woolf's depiction of shell shock is one of the most powerful things in the novel, as rather than describing the physical/outward symptoms, she decides to plunge right into the mind of Septimus, forcing the reader to literally place themselves in his shoes. What we've observed is that Septimus has a rationale, and can find order within the world, but is unable to feel. As a result, he decides to blame the world. This paradox of not being able to respond emotionally but also being hyperaware of the fact that he can't feel anything, and being anxious is such a complex, but also powerful detail Woolf highlights. While the mind of Septimus is functioning logically, it is his inability to feel that leads to his bouts of anxiety, depression, and hallucinations. The lack of emotions that humans require to be human is what makes him seem "mad" to the wor...