Reflections of 20th Century Psychiatrists
Mrs. Dalloway serves as a time capsule of England in the early 20th century, from the descriptions of the streets to how the characters changed because of their environment. I found the depictions of the psychiatrists from the time period to be especially eye-opening, as it really allowed me to see how much we have progressed as a society to be more accepting of mental health issues. The two doctors that are associated with Septimus in this book are Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw. Virginia Woolf had personal experiences with psychiatrists, and both doctors serve as an emblem of society’s views on mental health. Dr. Holmes represents the common man in England, the one who dismisses mental health and especially PTSD as a hoax. It is fitting that Dr. Holmes has the lesser title of the two (Dr. vs Sir), which represents how he is more like the average person. Holmes never truly believes that shell shock is real and suggests that Septimus can heal himself if he tak...