Trigger Warning: The mention of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide may be triggering for some readers. Please exercise personal care when reading.
Virginia Woolf remains one of the most noteworthy authors of the 20th century. Her numerous novels and essays criticize the conventions of gender, identity, and sexuality using an experimental writing style and stream of consciousness that still inspires writers today. She was not afraid to explore controversial topics, thereby contributing to feminist and anti-war advocacy. However, what continues to draw many of today’s readers to her work is her exploration of mental health.
Woolf herself struggled with depression and was not afraid to be open about her struggles in her works. On March 28, 1941, the world lost Woolf to suicide. In her lifetime, the world was less cognizant of many mental health conditions. Today, her works can help us understand the complexity of mental illness and how struggles can be, at times, a means of understanding ourselves and others.
Mrs. Dalloway
Published in 1925, Mrs. Dalloway criticizes social and medical discourse surrounding mental illness. The novel follows a day in the life of socialite Clarissa Dalloway and veteran Septimus Warren Smith.
Smith suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress, once known as “shellshock”. The horrors he witnessed during his service in World War I, including the death of his friend Evans, haunted Smith’s mind for the rest of his life. Readers see him losing touch with reality and having powerful visions and hallucinations. His doctor tells Smith there is nothing wrong with him and that rest will fix the issue. In the end, Smith takes his own life.
Dalloway’s life seems perfect on the outside, but Woolf’s use of perspective shows readers it is far from that – she struggles with depression. Dalloway is stuck in a cycle of pessimism and regret. She often pre-judges other characters and finds it difficult to find meaning in her life, despite being surrounded by many loved ones. After learning about Smith’s suicide, she reflects on her own happiness and decides that life is worth living. She recognizes her own feelings of emptiness and decides to reconcile them through social connection and perseverance.
On Being Ill
Woolf’s biographical essay On Being Ill emphasizes the transformative experience that mental illness can have on its subjects. The piece argues that the theme of illness should be addressed in mainstream literature just as much as love, betrayal, and battle. Woolf touches on the loneliness, vulnerability, and alienation that often come with disease. At the same time, she shows that these experiences allow adults to learn more about their inner selves.
This piece continues to criticize the social stigma around mental illness. Society at the time treated physical sickness more seriously than mental sickness – the brilliance and creativity of the mind were the only parts one should show the outside world. Woolf also criticizes language and its limitations in explaining the complexities of mental distress. The piece communicates that when others cannot understand your pain, you begin to feel isolated and ashamed.
The Waves
The Waves tracks the lives of six childhood friends through a series of arcane, enigmatic soliloquies. The novel is extremely innovative and experimental, framed by the poetic imagery of waves. The character Rhoda, in particular, exemplifies the somberness and discontent that comes with having depression. Readers experience what it means to laugh, cry, and change as the lives of Rhoda and her friends pass by.
This novel teaches readers that it is okay not to always understand yourself, especially as you are growing up. Humans are not static beings – we are ever-changing. Just like the tide, people come and go. Sometimes, the waters are rough and stormy, and other times, they are peaceful and calm. Readers may find solace in relating to the characters in the novel – they experience a wide range of emotions, showcasing the struggles of the human experience.
Jacob’s Room
Jacob’s Room reflects on the life of protagonist Jacob Flanders, a young man who dies in World War I. The novel is another example of the psychological toll of war, yet this time on society rather than the soldiers themselves. Readers do not enter Jacob’s consciousness – the novel indirectly portrays Jacob’s thoughts through his interactions with others and their impressions of him. His room functions as a conceptual space for readers to understand his character through his physical objects.
Although one of Woolf’s lesser known works, Jacob’s Room still offers important insight into the ideas of change, confusion, and the uncertainty of reality. The ways in which post-war trauma affects society are subtly alluded to at the novel’s end. For example, his mother wakes to the sound of waves after mistaking them for guns. The narrative addresses the patterns of grief and its effects on our mental well-being. How can one cope after losing an entire generation of men? Jacob’s loved ones are left with denial and emptiness, crucially reflecting the feelings that many others in society were going through at the time.
Virginia Woolf’s works inspire readers to challenge mental health stigmas and take the health of their minds just as seriously as their physical bodies. Mental illness is a human experience, and Woolf’s masterpieces show that we must speak about the topic honestly and shamelessly.
To feel safe at all times is a basic human right; let’s work to make this world physically and mentally safe for everyone.
If you or someone you know is battling with mental health-related distress, we urge you to be kind and hold space for them, and contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (confidential, free, available 24/7/365):
→ Call or text 988
→ Chat at 988lifeline.org
→ Connect with a trained crisis counselor
European RNCE +44 (0)141 331 4180 or www.rcne.com/
List of Hotlines in 46 Countries: https://wave-network.org/list-of-helplines-in-46-countries/
Click here for a look at Virginia Woolf’s trailblazing feminist works.
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