payment page
Of all the characters directly involved in Clarissa’s journey throughout the novel, Doris Kilman functions as the primary antagonist. Clarissa demonizes her from the very first moment she appears, and the undeniable tension between them never resolves. Initially brought into the Dalloway home as a history teacher for Elizabeth, Miss Kilman becomes a rather oppressive force as she attempts to impose her faith and anti-establishment views on the family. She is a poor, working-class woman whose education and unmarried status render her an outsider in most social circles. Hardships she faced earlier in her career, including being fired for refusing to villainize all Germans during the war, also inform the way she approaches the bleak prospects she faces as she heads into middle age. These qualities render Miss Kilman the antithesis of everything Clarissa represents, and as a result, she comes to hate “the idea of her” even more than she dislikes her as an individual. Much like the way in which Dr. Holmes is an embodiment of human nature in Septimus’s eyes, Clarissa sees Miss Kilman as a symbol of “love and religion” which will destroy “the privacy of the soul.” These forces, which play a key role in Miss Kilman’s relationship with Elizabeth, threaten the sense of individuality that Clarissa admires in people like Sally Seton and the old woman in the window.
While Miss Kilman never grows beyond her role as a villain, Woolf includes a few brief scenes from her perspective in order to emphasize her complexity and explore her motivations. She has undoubtedly faced numerous misfortunes throughout her lifetime, but her perceptions of wealth and power further exacerbate the bitterness she feels. For Miss Kilman, Clarissa and her socialite lifestyle are a painful reminder of all the ways the world has cheated her out of happiness. Her desire to seek revenge for her suffering, however, only pushes her deeper into her depression. Religion and her attachment to Elizabeth become the only two things that offer Miss Kilman any relief. Christianity gives Miss Kilman a specific framework through which she can view the world, and this structure helps ease the sense of displacement she feels as a result of existing outside London’s traditional social hierarchy. Meanwhile, her love for Elizabeth has two primary functions. Not only does their relationship allow Miss Kilman to challenge Clarissa, her enemy, but it also allows her to feel as if she has endless possibilities before her. As someone on the cusp of adulthood, Elizabeth is unburdened and has room to grow as an individual. Miss Kilman’s deep connection with her seems inspired by a desire to live vicariously through her.
