Conquer It

Think back over what you have learned about Mabel from the specific details you have gleaned from the story of “The New Dress.” All of these specific details should lead you to a possible theme or message that the author reveals to us. Virginia Woolf wanted the reader to have a very clear picture of Mabel and her experience at the party.  Much of what you learned about Mabel and how the author wants you to see her should lead you toward theme words that can help you develop theme statements about the story that develop from specific details in the story.

Three theme words and phrases that are revealed in the story are “Alienation and Loneliness,” “Insecurity” and “Social Class Expectations.” These words and phrases provide a way for you to develop a theme statement about the deeper message of negative feelings leading to a very unhappy existence.  After you develop theme statements using these words, you will have a better understanding of Mabel’s inner dialogue and how devastating her insecurities about herself are.

In the activity below, take each of the theme words and phrases, and develop them into statements that make sense in the context of the story. Elaborate and expand on why and how the word(s) is illustrated through the story.  Develop each one into a concrete, specific statement that holds true for Mabel throughout the entire story.

Example:

Theme word: anxiety/anxious

I think about the word “anxious” and I know I feel anxious when I am uncomfortable in a social situation where I don’t know many people. I saw many examples of when Mabel felt the same way. Some details I remember from reading the story that might help me with developing this statement include:

  • Mabel feeling like the servant is looking at her dress with distaste.
  • Mabel not feeling like she belongs with the more sophisticated partygoers.
  • Mabel comparing her dress to the others and finding it not quite up to the standards.


I then try to put these thoughts together in a statement about the anxiety that she feels:

Theme Statement:  Mabel displays anxiety in the story “The New Dress” by overanalyzing each imagined conversation at the party, agonizing over the inadequacy of her dress, and wishing she were anywhere else but the party, makes the reader feel sympathy for her.



All three themes bring you to an understanding of Mabel's inner dialogue and how devastating it is to her feelings about herself. In this next activity, read the excerpt and select the appropriate theme word or phrase.