Mental health is a central part of Mrs. Dalloway, as Virginia Woolf channels her own experiences with mental health into the book. Septimus is probably the most clear example of this, suffering from poor mental health eventually leading to suicide. Septimus is Virgina Woolf’s representation of being suicidally depressed, as she attempted suicide in real life and Septimus unfortunately successfully commits suicide in the book. Septimus’s mental struggles represent the difficulties WW1 veterans faced in the early 20s, only a few years after the war had ended. As discussed in class, Septimus is meant to represent the more severe mentally ill character as compared to Clarissa Dalloway, who while also suffering from mental illness does not suffer to the same degree as Septimus does. Virginia Woolfe clearly has a very personal connection with Septimus Smith, as he is inspired by Woolfe’s own experiences. Septimus is used as a character to highlight the general mistreatment that mentally ill people had at the time. While this mistreatment is naturally frustrating, this frustration is further emphasized given the fact that he is a war veteran who fought in the world’s deadliest conflict at the time. He essentially fought to preserve his home’s society yet when he returns, he is neglected by the very same society he fought to protect.
The ignorance of mental health at the time can be seen with the doctors: Holmes and Bradshaw. Holmes consistently downplays Septimus’s issues. For example, he says that when he was feeling a little depressed, all he did was go down to the music hall and play golf. He suggests Septimus should do something similar, believing that would solve the incredibly complex nature of his mental illnesses. He chalks up sleeplessness, fears, headaches, and dreams as being nothing more than nerve symptoms. Septimus makes it very clear that he doesn’t want to see Holmes again yet Holmes still forces himself past Rezia to talk to Septimus. The other doctor, Bradshaw, only sees Septimus through a clinical lens instead of a human being in pain by saying that his proportions are off. Bradshaw also downplays Septimus’s mental struggles, saying “We all have our moments of depression” and he firmly believes that what he is doing is helping Septimus. The way both Holmes and Bradshaw brush off the complexities of Septimus’s mental health is meant to be incredibly frustrating to the reader. His cure also involves losing one’s individuality and essentially, conforming to his will. This happened to Bradshaw’s wife, who eventually conformed to Bradshaw’s will, becoming totally submissive to him. This is how Bradshaw wants to treat his patients as well. This shows how frustratingly ignorant medical professionals at the time were, and how neglected mental health really was in 1920s society.
The treatment of mental health and the general stigma around it has evolved over the past 100 years, to the point that I don’t think characters such as Bradshaw or Holmes would be as common anymore (although there probably still are a few left). 1920s society is obviously very different to our current modern day society that we’re all living through and the treatment of mental health is one of the biggest differences shown in the book.
Great blog Rohail! I really like how you dug deep into the history of mental health and how that correlates to the time period in which this book is set in. I think it is important to think about Woolf's own experiences with mental health when talking about Septimus in the book and you did a great job incoorporating that into your blog. Great work Rohail.
ReplyDeleteGood work. However I think that there are still Holmes and Bradshaws in the world, because there are certainly plenty of people who are like them in their views on mental health. They may not be many doctors like them, especially ones who specialize in mental health. There are people who don't understand the depth of mental health and end up like Holmes and Bradshaw.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this book definitely is a reflection of the treatment of mental health in the 1920s with the author herself experienced. Overall great blog post!!
ReplyDeleteI agree that Septimus is in many (perhaps surprising) ways a more "personal" character to Virginia Woolf than Clarissa herself--but she also made a point of obscuring this personal connection by making him a male character, a veteran of the war, with a working-class background, and his breakdown is clearly a result of a very specific and identifiable trauma. So while it is "personal" (I mentioned in class how she drew directly on some of her own horrific hallucinations during her breakdown, as with the birds singing in Greek), Septmus's story also has this important "current events" aspect. Woolf is getting more directly "political" with his character, and with her depiction of the two doctors, than anywhere else in the novel. She even has Bradshaw later advocate to Richard Dalloway on behalf of veterans suffering from shell shock--this novel essentially offers direct support for such legislation. And her depictions of the two doctors are also the two most "satirical" elements of the novel--especially when she tears into the smug Lady Bradshaw sitting in her fine motor-car waiting for her husband to be finished solving the troubles of this young couple that has come to consult with him, or when she has both doctors offering some version of "Why don't you just cheer up? We all get a little down in the dumps sometimes--I like to play golf!" etc. Amid everything else going on in this novel, Virginia Woolf clearly had a bone to pick with the medical establishment and the inadequacy of laws to protect shell-shocked veterans, and while Septimus is a distinctive and individuated character, he also "stands in" for the larger category of wounded veterans whose wounds are less visible on the surface.
ReplyDeleteNice blog post. Mental health was definitely an issue that at the time, people didn't give that much needed attention to. I wouldn't say that the ignorance of the medical professionals were the way they were in this story to invoke feelings of anger while reading, because that was just the sad reality of how little mental health was valued in the minds of almost everyone, including medical professionals. But I would also say that mental health did play a critical role in this book, too.
ReplyDeleteI liked your point at the end of the first paragraph about how it makes it more sad that Septimus had gone to fight for his country, and returns to the treatment he gets. You related the events in the book to their historical context very well.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how Woolf chose to make Septimus commit suicide instead of Clarissa. Clarissa most likely would have been a character more like Woolf herself so it definitely adds to the meaning of the novel. Having a war veteran like Septimus go through these mental health struggles is definitely helping fight the stigma against "shell shocked" victims.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to note how bad the understanding of mental illnesses was back in the day. In Woolf's time, veterans with PTSD would be told to "just walk it off" in a dismissive way. Add to that the fact that the public would already scorn veterans, and you've got a recipe for disaster, which Woolf illustrates with the story of Septimus. Nice analysis!
ReplyDeleteI also think it's interesting in which the way Woolf chooses to portray mental illness. Septimus being a more clear example while Clarissa's mental struggles seem to fly under the radar. I think it's a good way to highlight the different effects of mental illnesses.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Rohail! I really appreciate the depth of your blog post and how it highlights the connections between Septimus and Virginia Woolf, and especially your analysis on how society and medical professionals like Bradshaw and Holmes in the 1920s mishandled mental health, is incredibly eye-opening. I also think that the book attempts to create a more empathetic perspective on the mental struggles of the characters, particularly Septimus, as many of his experiences are drawn from Virginia Woolf's diary.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting how you noted that Woolf intended Bradshaw's and Holmes' characters to be frustrating to the reader. Even though I'm sure mental health stigma was much more prevalent during the 1920s, it's almost as though Virginia Woolf knew it was a conversation we need to be having. Her own experiences with it, as well as Septimus' and even Clarissa's, helped shine light on a topic that was unfortunately much overlooked and disregarded. Amazing work!
ReplyDeleteHi Rohail, I appreciate your deep dive into Septimus's portrayal and the broader theme of mental health in Mrs. Dalloway. You've drawn a compelling link between Virginia Woolf’s personal struggles and how they shape Septimus’s character, and it's clear that Woolf's experiences add a powerful authenticity to his portrayal. The way you highlight Septimus as a reflection of the overlooked trauma faced by WWI veterans is particularly insightful. It’s heartbreaking how, despite his sacrifices, he faces rejection and misunderstanding from the very society he fought to protect—making his story all the more tragic.
ReplyDeleteGreat work, Rohail I especially appreciated your deep dive into the historical context of mental health and how it ties into the book's setting. You made a strong connection between Woolf's personal struggles and her portrayal of Septimus.
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