Reminiscences, Chapters 2, 3 and 4 Summary and Analysis

Woolf writes of the grief-filled period after Julia's death. Stella, Julia's oldest daughter, became devoted to caring for Julia's husband, Leslie. Woolf contends that Julia expected as much from Stella as she expected from herself, but didn't see how Stella was a generally happier person. This made Stella desperate to please. Woolf suggests that Stella's guilt at being away from home when Julia died was one reason why Stella became so devoted to Leslie in his grief, and why she took on all Julia's maternal responsibilities.

Gloom filled the Stephen home in the aftermath of Julia's death, and Stella became paler and thinner, always careful of Leslie. Stella finally accepted the proposal of marriage from Jack Hills, and became by degrees happier and healthier. Stella took a chill on her honeymoon, became progressively more ill, and in...