Night and Day by Virginia Woolf is her second novel and was published in 1919. But the novel is very forward-looking in its examination of relationships under the stress of the culture shift was occurring in the early 20th century. The story takes place in pre-war England and involves four characters and their relationships. Kathryn Hillbery the middle class privileged girl whose idea of success is marriage. Ralph Denham the middle class lawyer who supports his whole family and looks for his own peace of mind. William Rodney the mediocre poet and the suffragette, looking for the kind of romanticism one finds in books. Mary round out the main characters, involved in womens rights, who regards work as her precept of living. Also in the mix is Kathryns slightly ditzy mother who while working on a book seems to be easily distracted. The characters all work well together.