What does Big Ben symbolize in Mrs Dalloway?

Big Ben, a symbol of England and its might, sounds out the hour relentlessly, ensuring that the passage of time, and the awareness of eventual death, is always palpable. Clarissa, Septimus, Peter, and other characters are in the grip of time, and as they age they evaluate how they have spent their lives.



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Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf is a novel concerned with time. Time is used as a marker throughout the story as Big Ben chimes the hour. It is also bent and contorted to the novels will, as characters are consumed by memories of the past.

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The 13-tonne Big Ben bell was largely silenced for five years while a major restoration of the Elizabeth Tower took place, with the “bongs” finally resuming regular service in November 2022.

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The chimes of Big Ben can once again be heard live on BBC Radio 4. ?? Microphones have been reinstalled at the top of the Elizabeth Tower - listen in just before the Six O'Clock News bulletin, and before midnight. ??? Hear the bells for yourself by visiting on a tour.

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