Excerpts from Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway deal with the motif of water is
"The air was in the early morning; like the flap of a wave; the kiss of the wave"
"on waves of that divine vitality."
We see the image of water as grim, as Virginia Woolf herself committed suicide by drowning herself. The imagery of water is left ambiguous, suggesting a lack of boundaries and control. As Septimus stood near the river is discussed committing suicide.
Water also signifies as serenity and clarity. The idea of water is also depicted through Clarissa's party dress as of mermaid's. Such motif of water with a dress depicts that she feels natural in it.
Another motif of water is implied when Peter sits in the park and thinks "Sirens lolloping away on the green sea waves."
Here wave can symbolize memories which are coming and going and is not still. Also, such memories are over Clarissa in the opening scene:
How fresh, how calm, stiller than this of course, the air was in the early morning; like the flap of a wave; the kiss of a wave; chill and sharp and yet (for a girl of eighteen as she then was) solemn, feeling as she did, standing there at the open window, that something awful was about to happen.
