The early 20th century witnessed significant advances in overturning gender bias and patriarchal norms. Women gained many more freedoms, notably with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, and the first wave of feminism was in its golden age. However, gender roles, or ideals of how binary genders should act, still had a strong hold on society's expectations. When Virginia Woolf wrote Mrs. Dalloway in the 1920s, she used it as a social critique of the strict gender roles at the time. Protagonists Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith both struggle to meet emotional gender expectations; however, only Clarissa manages to hide her differences and remain an esteemed upper-class woman. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay When Septimus Warren Smith was a young adult, he volunteered for the army. However, upon his return, it became clear that the war had a significant psychological impact on Septimus. His wife, Rezia, believes that "he was no longer Septimus now", recalling how he "talked to himself, talked to a dead man". Septimus shows signs of shell shock, a common diagnosis for a World War I veteran. However, such a disorder carries a complex stigma. Veterans with symptoms of shell shock were thought to demonstrate qualities of femininity and therefore less of a man (Tomes). While Septimus worries about "not being able to feel", he actually ends up showing more emotion than is considered acceptable for a man, "crying out at human cruelty" and writing about "universal love : the meaning of the world. Rezia becomes embarrassed by him. She thinks it is "the most dreadful thing of all, to see a man like Septimus who fought, who was brave, cry." This adds another layer of tension to their marriage. This even leads him to state: “She would much rather he were dead!” She couldn't sit next to him...". Because Septimus cannot be a mentally strong man, Rezia is ashamed of him. Similarly, Clarissa Dalloway struggles to fulfill the feminine gender role on an emotional level, fearing she will not satisfy her husband. She states that “she saw what was missing… It was something central that permeated him; something hot that broke the surfaces and rippled the cold contact of man and woman…” . Other characters have noticed this same absence of what they consider to be an essential quality. Peter believes that "there has always been something cold about Clarissa", a certain "woody". This quality of warmth that Clarissa lacks is a quality linked to the feminine character, and more particularly to a true wife. This leads her to the conclusion that “she had let her husband down.” These two protagonists seem to differ in their ability to hide the fact that they do not fit their prescribed gender role. Septimus' physical appearance indicates his nonconformity. As a young adult, he sports an "innocent pink oval" face and is often perceived as too feminine. His boss thinks he “looks weak” and is worried about his health. During the war, Septimus appears to have physically "developed manhood". However, something about his appearance causes a feeling of discomfort. Maisie Johnson thinks he and Rezia look very "queer", and Sir William Bradshaw "could see from the first moment they entered the room that Septimus was a case of extreme seriousness". He can't control his behavior in public, which combined with his appearance.