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Despite the limited number of appearances she makes in the novel, Elizabeth Dalloway nevertheless plays an important role in illuminating the wide spectrum of lifestyles and perspectives that Woolf features throughout. Elizabeth is the only child of Richard and Clarissa, and at age seventeen, she stands at a crossroads in her life. Many of the novel’s major characters are middle-aged and set in their ways, but her youth grants her the opportunity to choose what her future holds. Having been raised in Clarissa’s bourgeois home, Elizabeth can continue in her mother’s footsteps and become a London socialite. She can also follow Miss Kilman’s example and take a more worldly path, pursuing an independent career over status. While these two choices may seem rather straightforward, Woolf takes care to illustrate the uncertainty and possibility that characterize Elizabeth’s life. Numerous characters identify her as notably quiet or passive, suggesting her apprehensiveness, and Woolf symbolically emphasizes her potential through her physical appearance. Clarissa and Richard both have light hair and blue eyes, but their daughter is “an Oriental mystery” with darker features and a pale face. This description frames Elizabeth as an “other” who defies easy categorization. Her unique, alluring beauty also invites repeated comparisons to blooming flowers, and although she detests these descriptions, they reinforce the idea that she has yet to fully grow into her identity.
The few brief moments that showcase Elizabeth’s perspective offer a more direct look at her struggle to navigate between the paths laid out before her. Although she often finds herself in the middle of the tension between Clarissa and Miss Kilman, neither one of them represent a future that feels right for her. Her mother’s parties and their inherent emphasis on appearances exhaust her, and she pities Miss Kilman for the lonely, resentful life she leads. Elizabeth’s innate sense of obedience, however, prevents her from abandoning these two opposing worlds altogether as she remains devoted to her teacher and arrives on time to her mother’s party. Her biggest act of rebellion is wandering down the Strand, a part of town largely avoided by the Dalloways. This moment of independence leads her to consider pursuing a career, but Woolf offers no indication that Elizabeth has plans to act on those thoughts. In the end, Elizabeth finds the most comfort in her father, yearning for a peaceful life with him and their dogs in the countryside.
