Mrs. Dalloway follows Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class housewife in London, as she prepares for a party. She encounters an old suitor, Peter Walsh, who is still obsessed with her rejecting his marriage proposal years ago. The story also follows Septimus Smith, a World War I veteran suffering from shell shock, as he awaits an appointment with a psychiatrist. Throughout the day, Clarissa reflects on her life and marriage while Septimus struggles with his trauma and mental illness. At Clarissa's party that evening, they learn that Septimus has committed suicide, which deeply affects Clarissa and her views on life and death.