Rachel Vinrace sets sail for South America aboard her father's ship, embarking on a journey of self-discovery that resembles a modern mythical voyage. The diversity of passengers allows Woolf to satirize life during the Gilded Age. The novel introduces Clarissa Dalloway, who would later become the central character in Mrs. Dalloway. Other characters are inspired by real-life figures in Woolf’s life, such as St John Hirst, based on Lytton Strachey, and Helen Ambrose, reflecting aspects of her sister, Vanessa Bell. Rachel's journey, from an isolated life in a London suburb to freedom and intellectual challenges, likely mirrors Woolf's own evolution, from a repressive childhood to intellectual flourishing within the Bloomsbury Group.