A Mind In Fragments: Virginia Woolf’s Representation Of War Trauma Through Septimus Smith In Mrs. Dalloway

Abstract

Virginia Woolf's works are deeply engaged with the theme of war. Having grown up in a household where she faced patriarchal constraints and experienced profound personal losses from an early age, she developed a deep understanding of and sympathy for not only the families of soldiers who perished in World War I but also those who returned physically intact yet psychologically scarred. One of Woolf's most masterfully crafted characters, Septimus Smith, serves as a powerful critique not only of the futility of war but also of the culture that glorifies it. Woolf portrays with great sensitivity the struggles of returning soldiers, who find themselves in a society that venerates fallen heroes while neglecting those who survive. This article examines the extent of psychological damage inflicted on Septimus and explores how, through his breakdown, Woolf mounts a modernist critique of war and its devastating impact.