The Luftwaffe

"...bombers drone in the sky, though she looks for the planes but can't see them." (pg. 1)

Virginia Woolf killed herself in 1941, right after the onset of World War II. The bombers she is referring to are the Luftwaffe. During WWII, London and other Allied cities were bombed heavily by the Luftwaffe under Hitler's orders.

Link: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERluftwaffe.htm

Vanessa Bell

"She has left a not ... for Vanessa." (pg. 1)

Vanessa Bell was Virginia Woolf's older sister and close friend. Vanessa was an artist but never achieved much critical notice. Married to Clive Bell, Vanessa had several extramarital affairs with members of the Bloomsbury Group, including Roger Fry and Duncan Grant. Although she never published any works, she was also a talented writer who wrote many letters to her sister and friends.

Link: http://asms.k12.ar.us/classes/humanities/britlit/97-98/bell/blwbpg.htm

Leonard Woolf

"She had left a note for Leonard..." (pg. 1)

Leonard Woolf was Virginia Woolf's husband and close friend. He married her in 1912 and the two soon became the center of The Bloomsbury Group. Like his wife, Leonard Woolf was a writer and enjoyed all things intellectual. He started the Hogarth Press, which published works by fellow Bloomsbury Group-er T.S. Elliot, and wrote many autobiographies and several political works. He died in 1969.

Link: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUwoolf.htm