Rachel Vinrace embarks for South America on her father's ship and is launched on a course of self-discovery in this modern version of the mythic voyage. In one of Woolf's wittiest, most satirical novels, we are introduced to Clarissa Dalloway, the central character of Woolf's later novel, Mrs. Dalloway. The mismatched jumble of passengers on the ship provide Woolf with ample opportunity to satirize Edwardian life.