1.Throughout Voyage Out, Virginia Woolf provides many key scenes which trace Rachel Vinrace’s sexual maturation, both physically and mentally. At the first mention of the word love, Rachel begins to feel her world expanding. Her first physical sexual encounter proves to be both horrifying and enlightening. When Richard Dalloway suddenly kisses her, she feels physically pained as well as mentally aware of a wholly new sensation. Her first physical sexual experience reveals nothing to her about love, but only teaches her about lust. She thought how, after this altogether new experience, “life seemed to hold infinite possibilities she had never guessed at.”(p.67) Although her second sexual experience reveals more to her about love, she still maintains confusion in trying to understand sexuality. When Rachel sees Sarah Warrington and Arthur Venning kissing, she is “agitated”(p.128) and begins to wonder more about the sensation of love. As Woolf traces Rachel’s sexual maturation, she begins to describe her in a more mentally alive and aware manner. In the beginning of the novel, Woolf describes her as almost empty and unthinking. After these two sexual encounters, Rachel’s “eyes were bright”(p.139) and she appears to be reflecting on life around her. The development of Rachel’s mental sexuality intensifies with the meeting of Hewet. She begins to experience what she believes to be love and the pain and pleasure associated with it. With this comes a renewed interest in literature, which quickly fades again. By constantly pondering the idea of love, Rachel is forced to question and explore new thoughts. Through all of these experiences, Rachel begins to have an understanding of the frustration, excitement and wonder involved in loving someone and being loved....
