8. Mrs. Dalloway: (pg 9)

8. Mrs. Dalloway: (pg 9)"There were Jorrocks' Jaunts and Jollities; there were Soapy Sponge and Mrs. Asquith's Memoirs and Big Game Shooting in Nigeria, all spread open.":
Clarissa is picking out a book to bring Evelyn Whitbread. Woolf names four books; three of these were published books in the time setting of Mrs. Dalloway. Jorrocks’ Jaunts and Jollities is a humorous book written by Robert Surtees published in 1838. Soapy Sponge is also a comical character created by Surtees published in 1853. Mrs. Asquith's Memoirs is a three volume book depicting the life of Margot Asquith, who was the wife of Mr. Herbert Asquith, former prime minister. This book was just published in 1922. Big Game Shooting in Nigeria is not a real book. Game hunting was a popular sport during this time period. Woolf may have enjoyed reading silly books or maybe she knew that many people were not intellectuals and she was appealing to their senses by noting these books in her story. Woolf may have related to Mrs. Asquith who was a writer, an intellectual, and a feminist of the time. Mrs. Asquith was attacked publicly in court over her permissive views on homosexuality. Characters in Mrs. Dalloway seem not tuned into homosexuality but it is referenced. Woolf was empathetic to Mrs. Asquith’s situation. The hunting book is not real, and although it was a popular sport. By listing these four books, Woolf emphasizes the current optimistic but opinionated emotional climate of London.

Alexander Waugh. “Biography about Robert Surtees.” Robert Smith Surtees Society. 1979-2009. 28 September 2009. http://www.r.s.surteessociety.org/biography.html

“Herbert Asquith.” Spartacus Educational. 28 September 2009. 28 Sept 2009. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRasquith.htm

“Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 28 September 2009. 28 September 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margot_Asquith

“Robert Smith Surtees.” Answers.com. 2009. 27 September 2009.
http://www.answers.com/topic/robert-smith-surtees

“Robert Smith Surtees.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 27 September 2009. 27 September 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Smith_Surtees