Grief and loneliness
The theme of grief and loneliness occupies an important place in the novel, for almost every character has his or her reason to feel trapped, sad, and lonely. For instance, Jacob’s mother, Betty, has to learn how to live without her husband, his help and protection. Of course, she has friends, who visit her from time to time in order to distract her from bitter thoughts. Captain Barfoot is one of them. But the Captain also has a wife, who knows where her husband goes, and can’t do a thing in order to prevent her husband from going there. She turns out to be as lonely as Betty. Betty’s neighbor, Mrs. Jarvis, dreams about leaving her husband but know that her leaving can ruin his career, so she stays with him. Isn’t she lonely too? Like it has been already said, everyone has his/her reason to grieve and Virginia Woolf masterfully depicts that.
Self-sufficiency
To live in the society, one should follow its rules. What is more, it is next to impossible to find solitude. When Jacob finally realizes his dream and visits Greece, he realizes how “pleasant it is to be alone”. Please note that to be alone and to be lonely are two different states. Solitude gives us a chance not to lose oneself in the whirlwind of the modern life. One should never forget how important it is to listen to oneself, to know what to do and what dreams to pursue.
Lost generation
Jacob Flanders is one of those young people, who dream about learning the truth, who value knowledge and just to want to live like they want, but the horrible things like wars prevent them from doing that. He could be a good teacher, a writer or whoever he would like to be, but it would never happen, for several world leaders couldn’t come to an agreement, for some people started believing that they can violate all norms of morality killing innocent people and invading other countries.
