Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown

In this essay Woolf argues that traditional character representation as exemplified by writers like Arnold Bennett H.G. Wells and John Galsworthy (whom she collectively refers to as the Edwardians) is inadequate for capturing the complexities of modern life. She posits that these authors focus too much on the external details and social environments of their characters which she believes results in characters that lack depth and inner life. Woolf uses the hypothetical characters of Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown to illustrate her point. Mrs. Brown represents the elusive richly complex individual that Woolf feels modern fiction should strive to capture. She suggests that while Mr. Bennett (and by extension the Edwardian writers) might describe Mrs. Brown’s surroundings and external conditions in great detail they fail to convey the essence of who Mrs. Brown truly is.