# Mrs. Flushing — The Voyage Out character guide

> Mrs. Flushing in The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mrs. Wilfrid Flushing, Wilfrid Flushing, Flushing

**First appearance:** 0009-x

## Snapshot

An eccentric, eager traveler who leans forward at the first mention of a dead explorer, hungry for the raw and the strange that the others politely avoid.

## Who they are

Mrs. Flushing joins the river expedition with an appetite for sensation, exclaiming over the hut where the explorer's body and notebook were found while her well-dressed husband supplies the facts. She befriends Rachel with the same unguarded enthusiasm she brings to everything, treating the sultry, alarming country as an adventure rather than a discomfort. Her vivid, slightly reckless curiosity throws the more restrained English travelers into relief and gives Rachel a glimpse of a woman who takes the world head-on.

## Relationships

### [Helen Ambrose](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/characters/helen_ambrose)

_friendship_

They share a friendly, somewhat adventurous bond as fellow travelers exploring the South American landscape.

### [Rachel Vinrace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/characters/rachel_vinrace)

_friendship_

Mrs. Flushing is an adventurous, bohemian older woman who encourages Rachel's independence and curiosity.

### [Helen Ambrose](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/characters/helen_ambrose)

_friendship_

They share a friendly, somewhat adventurous bond as fellow travelers exploring the South American landscape.

### [Rachel Vinrace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/characters/rachel_vinrace)

_friendship_

Mrs. Flushing is an adventurous, bohemian older woman who encourages Rachel's independence and curiosity.

### [Helen Ambrose](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/characters/helen_ambrose)

_friendship_

They share a friendly, somewhat adventurous bond as fellow travelers exploring the South American landscape.

## In the story

### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/chapters/xvii)

Mrs. Flushing sits with Hirst and Hewet during the service, peering at Hirst's Greek poem and asking about Sappho. She manages to participate in the Litany while indulging her curiosity.

### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/chapters/xx)

Paints by the river, expresses dislike for Shakespeare, and remains focused on her art.

### [Chapter XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/chapters/xxvi)

Grieves silently and angrily over Rachel's death, refusing to submit to death and pacing in fury.

### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/chapters/xxvii)

Exults in the storm, standing outside to watch; later speaks scornfully about fear of death.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/characters/mrs_flushing
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_voyage_out_se/characters