Summary

Continuing her thoughts about the figure of Mrs. Brown, Woolf expands on her statement that "all novels...deal with character" by explaining that a character will appear differently depending on "the age and country in which you happen to be born" (4). She details how the character of Mrs. Brown would be represented differently in English literature, French literature, and Russian literature, showcasing how literary conventions are still in effect based on geography. She concludes that "Mrs. Brown can be treated in an infinite variety of ways, according to the age, country, and temperament of the writer" (5).

Woolf returns to Bennett's claim that contemporary novelists cannot create realistic characters. She asks her audience, "What is reality? And who are the judges of reality?" (5). She notes that everyone's conception of a realistic character will be different, but ultimately entertains Bennett's claim by asking why Georgian writers...