World War 1 affected many at this time; how did it affect Mrs. Dalloway and other characters in the novel? How does this relate to grander themes in terms of mental illness?
WWI affected Mrs. Dalloway in the way that it affected Septimus. By causing Septimus to have PTSD, he eventually commits suicide, which becomes a topic of conversation at Clarissa's party. "'Oh! Thought Clarissa, in the middle of my party, here's death, she thought." This statement reveals her trivial nature, concerned more with the party than human life. It also hints at the theme of death throughout the novel, surfacing at the climax.
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Mundane
12/9/2014 08:22:29 am
The war puts the novel in a different light. By setting the story directly after the war, the daily ongoings of London become impertinent details. Grander struggles of depression, PTSD, and mental illness also serve to comment upon the mundane.
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Depression
12/10/2014 02:43:07 am
As stated before World War 1 affected many in Britain and many still felt the effects of the war after it was over, as seen in Mrs. Dalloway. For example Septimus for example had the mindset that war would make him a hero like so many others, instead he came back traumatized. Clarrisa because of the war follows a strict guideline set up by the British craving freedom.