Big Ben Symbol Analysis

Big Ben is a famous clock tower and London monument, but it also serves as an interesting symbol of time and tradition in the book. The clock tower is part of the Palace of Westminster, and so in one way it acts as a symbol of English tradition and conservatism, the attempt to pretend that the War and modern life haven’t changed anything. But by its very nature Big Ben is also a clock, and so it dispassionately marks the endless progression of time, which waits for no one. The striking of the clock is the main divider in the narrative of Mrs. Dalloway, and interrupts characters’ thoughts and actions with “leaden circles dissolving in the air.” Time is an important theme of the novel (Woolf’s original title for the book was “The Hours”), as Clarissa and Septimus both feel the danger of living even one day, and all the characters experience vibrant memories of the past. The striking of Big Ben is then a continuous reminder of ever-present time, which is both linear (the progression of hours) and circular (the constant presence of the past).