Richard is a Good Boy

When we meet Richard we learn that things about him that confirm what we have learned about him from Clarissa and Peter, and new things that we could only know by being inside of his mind. The thing I wanted to point out is the moment/moments leading up to when he goes to Clarissa, and fails to pronounce his love. Or does he? 

I think that there is something special in keeping the innocence and tenderness in their relationship as there was in the beginning, as opposed to getting used to saying to each other "I love you", and being desensitized to those words. When Richard is gathering the courage to pronounce his love to Clarissa, he acts almost like a giddy schoolboy. His mind is filled only with how he is going to say it to her, repeatedly saying that he would do so "in so many words". I think that it is not a bad thing that he finds himself unable to say the words directly to her, but nonetheless he finds happiness in being with her. He even finds happiness thinking about saying it to Clarissa, which is part of his innocent charm. We see him content with the situation at multiple places. "here he was, in the prime of life, walking to his house in Westminster to tell Clarissa that he loved her. Happiness is this, he thought".

Now some people would say that this is a bad indicator on how their 30 year marriage has been going on, and they may have a point. However I think that the subtle things they do and the happiness that they bring to each other, even though he might have been the safety net for her in her life, is significant and powerful, even though it does not necessarily fit what people expect the husband and wife roles to be, especially during that time.

Comments

  1. ArianaOctober 15, 2020 at 8:41 PM

    I like the points you made! Richard was even described as bearing the roses like a weapon, and holding the flowers awkwardly. I think he handle's his relationship with Clarissa "awkwardly", and he lets the roses (the weapon) do the work for him. He bears the flowers almost like a shield as he cannot muster up the words "I love you". But Clarissa understands his act, and appreciates his roses nonetheless.

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  2. KiranOctober 18, 2020 at 1:31 AM

    I actually think this could be a god sign for their relationship. It means they still have somewhere to grow, so their relationship will not get stale, and this innocence of Richard's could be part of the reason Clarissa likes him so much. At the very least it doesn't seem like she hates it, and is still very much in love with him, cherishing the flowers she gets.

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  3. Katya S.October 18, 2020 at 3:10 AM

    I think you're right. Love is infinitely more powerful when it is shown through actions rather than saying "I love you" without meaning. Obviously, you could both demonstrate actions that show your love and say it out loud, but the actions speak louder than the words. Richard obviously seems happy with Clarissa since he put so much thought into how to show his love out loud. Clarissa is a bit quieter about this, but she seems to appreciate Richard and his little acts of love.

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  4. LillianOctober 18, 2020 at 6:39 PM

    I actually loved Richard so I'm glad you brought this up. He's like a little puppy dog and the only person I consistently liked in that book. He's always trying his best to do what would make her happy, even if Clarissa never really reciprocated.

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  5. Aakash V.October 18, 2020 at 6:48 PM

    These are very compelling points about this scene with Richard that I may have considered before, but not to the extent of your interpretation. I appreciate you bringing your thoughts to this because I find it really interesting. As we know, there are many aspects of their relationship that are left up to our interpretation as we have discussed their relationship in-depth many times during class. This stands true like many other parts of Mrs. Dalloway. They are for sure an older couple, but there is undoubtedly something special, unique, and different about the way they treat each other. When I read a novel with an established relationship like a marriage, there are certain things I see as "normal" for such a partnership, but for this relationship between Clarissa and Richard as you mention, there is something innocent and maybe even fragile about their relationship. Not in the sense it could break any second, but that it is very... precious, in a way. Nice post :)

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  6. AlyssaOctober 18, 2020 at 9:13 PM

    I like your interpretation of Richard (he is a very good boi indeed)! While I agree with you that he has simply allowed the "I love you" to stay important and weighted over their thirty years of being together, I think there is another element at hand. There are five "love languages" that humans tend to have, and the one that sticks out to me most here is "gift giving." I think Richard prefers to express his love through gifts to his wife. This is why it makes him so sad when Clarissa doesn't wear the bracelet (or was it a necklace?) he bought her. Rather than saying (in so many words) that he loves her, he prefers a more material approach. Clarissa clearly is not overly reciprocal of this, and that's kinda sad. What I mean to say is, I believe that the flowers IS the way that Richard is 'saying' "I love you" to Clarissa.

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  7. YeowoonOctober 21, 2020 at 10:07 PM

    Yes I think Richard is a good guy! Sometimes actions mean more than words and I think that one scene of him giving Clarissa the flowers embodies that saying exactly. I think he's just not that great at expressing his feelings with words even though as the reader we see that he actually does have feelings in his mind, just not verbally.

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