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July 17, 1997
Dear Nancy,
I enjoyed your letter and agree with you on the richness of Woolf’s writing in The Voyage Out. She does give us pieces of information about the characters through, as you say, actions, dialogue, etc. But I think we get the best sense of the characters through the hints, metaphor, allusion, etc. that we talked about in class.
I think we reinforced your opinion of Ridley as pompous when we discussed why Helen was "anxious" about the light in the window (188). The example you gave about him whining while Helen fixed the table was a good one. My reaction was very similar to yours. His manly way of facing his discomfort was laughable. Another hint we get about Ridley is the reference to the appearance of a "man’s form" which apparently collected Rachel and Helen from their talk near the terrace while Terence eavesdropped (210). That image of him and the following description of "bolts grating" and "dead silence" helped solidify my opinion of Ridley as an overbearing husband. So, as you say, we do see into the characters by what they do and say and also what other characters say to them and about them.
Ridley is the one who warns Helen about keeping an eye on Rachel (220). He does seem to be firmly entrenched in the patriarchal system. The passage about Ridley in his room with his books encircling him is also an interesting passage (191). I wondered about his isolation or maybe even alienation from the rest of the group. Since, according to the text, age, learning and sex all put "barriers between human beings, " Ridley was "some thousand miles distant from the nearest human being, who in this household was inevitably a woman" (191). I see here that just the fact of being a woman separates Ridley by a "thousand miles." There is the sense that the other members of the household maintain quiet to avoid disturbing him and that life preoccupied (191). I get the feeling that Ridley’s family is in a position of creeping around as if walking on egg shells to avoid confrontation with him. What function does Ridley fulfill in this novel? Even with his limited interaction with the microcosmic group at the hotel, we get a sense of what Ridley is.
Well, I want to bring up another passage before I close. After Rachel had been to Miss Allan’s room and is leaving Miss Allan because she can’t get around Mrs. Paley, she comes upon a group of people and Evelyn calling a dog. The text reads, "for a moment nothing seemed to happen; it all stood still, and then she realized that one of the figures was Helen Ambrose; and the dust began to settle" (302). Why is Rachel affected in this way? What does the passage say about Rachel’s relationship to Helen?
My discussion seems a little disjointed, but I think you see what I mean. Anyway, we can talk. There are so many passages which interest me in this novel. As I look for passages I find more and more I want to look at closely, but I must come to a close so that I may prepare for more letters next week. I enjoyed working with you in our group and look forward to many more interesting conversations with you.
Alice
Nancy's Letter