Why Peter is so Annoying


In reading Mrs. Dalloway, there was one character that I couldn't stand: Peter.

First off this is why he is the worst.  All of a sudden he comes back into Clarissa's life.  She is doing fine without him, her life is going well, she is with the man that is best for her, and living the luxurious life that she always wanted.  She knew Peter couldn't give her that stability or luxury that she has with Richard, which is why she couldn't marry him.  Now, he's back from India and trying to get his Indian bride's divorce legalized, so now he's a home wrecker.  His bride, Daisy, already has two children and a secured husband who is in a general.  With his intentions to finalize her divorce, so he could marry her, he now visits his first love, Clarissa, and starts playing with her feelings.  He already knows that he has a lady in India and he consciously tries to spark up old emotions with Clarissa.  It was almost like he was trying to win her back, but obviously Clarissa can see right through him cause he's an unloyal snake.

Second, what is his deal with this knife.  He just pulls out a pocketknife, opens the blade, and starts playing with it all while having a conversation with Clarissa.  I'm not sure whether it's a nervous tick or he does it out of boredom, but it's downright creepy.  No wonder Clarissa wouldn't marry him, he has psychopathic tendencies.  If I was talking to a guy about our past relationship and he pulls out a knife and starts playing with it, I would be terrified.  Don't get me started on how he stalked that girl around the streets of London WHILE PLAYING WITH HIS KNIFE.  I would not be surprised if he pops up on a top 10 serial killers list.

For these reasons, I find that Peter truly got on my nerves and I am happy that Clarissa married Richard.  Personally, I think she dodged a bullet.


Comments

  1. Camille WhiteFebruary 1, 2018 at 10:09 AM

    Caroline, first off let me say I love the passion in this post, however I do not agree with all of your claims. I do agree that Peter is an annoying character, especially after reading his own internal dialogue, but I think that he plays a crucial role in the motif of "memories and the past." The first thing I disagree with is that Clarissa was not doing fine. During the entire novel Clarissa struggles with her own identity and fitting in with her peers in the upper-class. I do not think she was "doing fine without him," HOWEVER I do think that Peter's appearance might have caused more conflict within Clarissa. Also I am not sure if her husband is the best person for her, which can be seen through her fantasies with Sally Seton. I definitely do agree with your point that her husband gives her stability that Peter could not provide her. Overall, I agree that Peter is "so annoying," but I think that his "annoyingness" can be blamed on his deeper psychological issues.

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  2. UnknownFebruary 1, 2018 at 12:59 PM

    Caroline,
    I agree that a character I did not particularly like was Peter, although not at the same level as you. I do agree with you in the fact that Peter is very creepy considering his nervous tick is playing with a knife, and he followed a random girl to her home. However, I do not agree that Clarissa is doing fine without him, and that the better man is Richard. It is obvious that Clarissa is not happy with her life; when Peter calls her the “perfect hostess”, Clarissa almost cries. She realizes her life is reduced to being a housewife, and is spending an entire day of her life preparing for a dinner party in honor of her husband. In my opinion, Peter is a reminder of simpler times and childhood for Clarissa. For someone who is already unhappy with her life, having this reminder could only cause Clarissa’s emotional health to deteriorate.

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