Mrs Dalloway Character Analysis

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Recommended: Mrs. Dalloway as a modern tragedy

In the story Mrs. Dalloway written by Virginia Woolf, the World War 1 in many ways influenced all of the characters. The setting takes place in London, in the summer of 1923. This story was made to be six years after the end of World War 1. At the beginning of the story a great conflict took place not long before the time frame, which was the War. Being oblivious to what all the others are feeling, the higher classes were stubborn to their established social dynamics. Because of this reason, Virginia Woolf integrates one of the characters Septimus Warren Smith as a way to show the differences between all of the characters that want to live their lives and move forward and the characters that aren’t lucky enough to do so. During the time, they’re facing problems because of the World War 1, and it’s completely tearing apart society.
Septimus Warren Smith was a shell-shocked soldier meaning he had severe traumatic stress disorder from when he fought in the World War 1. He wasn’t really looked at as a hero; he was more of a survivor. After fighting in the war, his life was damaged. Septimus is very guilty and despises himself for letting the war make him numb. He removed himself from the real world, and that’s when his doctor ordered his wife to make him notice the things outside of himself rather than what’s going on inside.
He let himself live in an internal he sees and hears things that isn’t really there. Evans was his best friend, where Septimus is found talking to him all the time even though he died towards the end of the war. Evans and Septimus were inseparable. They found the need to constantly share everything, always be together, and they even felt the need to have to fight with one another. To me it seemed they might have...

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...b, and was very discouraging because she felt she was constantly alone. Maybe that’s why she was so comforted by Elizabeth.
The World War 1 was very devastating to everyone in many different ways. Although the World War 1 was a huge part of why everyone began changing, I feel as if Septimus is a huge part of why the society began going downhill too. His constant rudeness and inconsideration wasn’t what people were looking to deal with, but they didn’t really have much of a choice. Lucrezia cared so much about him and put herself through so much to try to keep him sane. Evans had a huge impact on Septimus, which completely traumatized him when he died. Losing a best friend is the hardest thing in the world, but Septimus wasn’t doing anything to try to help himself. He constantly has such negative thoughts, and was inconsiderate of the way he made other people feel.

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