Try It

Now it is time to read the rest of the short story "The New Dress" by Virginia Woolf. You can read the entire story online:

The New Dressopens in new window

Remember, the following hints will help you make sense of what you are reading and make inferences about the author’s thematic intention.

  • Keep track of specific details of objects, characters, actions and ideas on your own paper. For this activity, pay special attention to the times Mabel interacts with a looking glass or mirror to help you as you proceed. We will try to figure out the symbolic importance of the looking glass/mirror. Remember a symbol can be an object, person or idea that can represent another idea through association.
  • Look at the specific descriptions.  Pay attention to items, places and people that are described with extensive detail. Look at their characteristics and try to draw connections between those characteristics and other things in the story or in life.
  • Look for repetition of details. If the author repeats the object or idea in the literary text, then it probably holds some significance.
  • Draw conclusions by looking at the details and making connections between the objects and the characters, and the characters and the plot. Use the supporting details effectively to help you determine the theme.

After you have finished reading the story, complete the activity below where you will work to discover the significance of the details about the story, including the looking glass or mirror. If you understand these kinds of details, it can help you make assumptions about what the author intends for us to take from the story.  Being able to decipher symbolic details in a literary text can expand your understanding of the story.


Hint: After reading and answering questions about Mabel and her relationship with "looking glasses" you should probably notice details about how Mabel "sees" herself at the party, which will help you make connections to how she feels about her life and some thematic ideas about what the author wants us to take from the story.