Historical Context and Publication
Mrs. Dalloway was published in 1925 after World War 1 and before World War 2, universally a rough time. Virginia Wolff obviously born before this felt the full force of World War 1 as many did living in England. This along with personal incidents were a cause for her mental illness and depression as well as so many others during this time. We also see many references to the war and politics throughout the novel of Mrs. Dalloway. By 1918 Britain was a democracy where adult males and women over the age of 30 could vote however the elections that were to take place in 1915 had to be held off until the end of World War 1. During the war Britain lost twice the amount of troops that they would lose in World War 2. Not only had a lot of men died during WW1 but the atrocities in which they died affected everyone and shaped history. There were already rifles being used in battle but this was the first time machine guns, chlorine and mustard gas, tanks, planes, and naval ships were all used in war creating a lot of destruction and devastation throughout Britain.
But weapons weren’t the only thing to affect Britain during the war, because of the war Britain’s economy suffered a great loss as well. Their debt started to increase as America’s economy started to get better to the point that they were doing better than Britain. Once the war ended many workers went on strike and by 1921 unemployment was at an all-time high. Due to all this more women began to work and more blue collar workers were getting white collar jobs. Overall even though Britain gained more land, they suffered so many causalities and economic debt that there was a nationwide depression.
But weapons weren’t the only thing to affect Britain during the war, because of the war Britain’s economy suffered a great loss as well. Their debt started to increase as America’s economy started to get better to the point that they were doing better than Britain. Once the war ended many workers went on strike and by 1921 unemployment was at an all-time high. Due to all this more women began to work and more blue collar workers were getting white collar jobs. Overall even though Britain gained more land, they suffered so many causalities and economic debt that there was a nationwide depression.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/overview_britain_ww1_01.shtml