Connection Between the Women
Throughout the film, we assume that the only connection between the women is fictional, written on the pages of Virginia Woolf's novel. It isn't until the end of the film that we realize there was a real-life connection all along, as Laura Brown's little boy, Richie, is Clarissa's ex-husband Richard.
The Woolf's Move to the Suburbs
Leonard moves Virginia to a home in the suburbs to relax her and to prevent her from being depressed. The irony of this is that she is out of sorts emotionally away from the energy of London and the move has made her more prone to depression and writer's block than staying in London ever would have done.
Richard's Suicide
Richard ends up committing suicide which is ironic because he has very little time to live and is going to pass away imminently anyway. It is also an irony because he has so little power over his body at this point that this is the only way he can exert power over it.
Laura's Life
Laura's life is picture perfect and from the outside it appears that they are a deeply devoted family who have the life that everyone aspires to. This is ironic because Laura is deeply unfulfilled by her life and feels emotionally disconnected from her husband and son.
Clarissa's Domesticity
Clarissa was trapped in a heterosexual marriage and wanted a fulfilling relationship with a woman; ironic, because she was more stereotypically domestic in her relationship with Sally, becoming what her daughter thinks is "bourgeois", than she ever was in her relationship with Richard.
