Virginia Woolf and modernism

On and Off the Battlefield: Literary Depictions of War Trauma before PTSD

“…Woolf's portrayal of Sir William Bradshaw as a pompous fool who cares more about his renown than his patients makes it obvious that she detested this rest treatment, based on her own experiences as a mental patient. This rest cure was the treatment for women with neurasthenia before the war, most likely similar to the treatment Woolf went through when she was put in the care of a physician, 59 the kind that she was in when World War I broke out. 60 Bradshaw is a proponent of the social Darwinist view that was popular at the time.…”

“…His prolific writing on the subject played a large part in convincing other doctors that hysteria had a physical cause. 15 By 1916, Army doctors were arguing that the event actually had two parts: the physical shock and an accompanying emotional shock that led to disturbing memories of the explosion (59). As it was often hard to tell the two apart, the link between the diagnosis and concussion was broken, and shell shock became nothing more than a synonym for "war neuroses" (60).…”

“…During this time, Woolf also attempted suicide by jumping out a window, as Septimus does, but her window proved to be too low to be fatal. 42 By giving Septimus so many of her own qualities, Woolf makes it clear that for her, trauma is above all caused by loss, and the reaction to loss, both at home and on the battlefield.…”

“…These methods are on full display when the character of Rivers treats Billy Prior, the officer who presents at Craiglockhart with mutism, amnesia and nightmares. Prior communicates with the staff by writing on a notepad, insisting that 68 (41)(42). In other words, there's nothing wrong with him at all -he's not a weak soldier who breaks down and his being here, presenting these symptoms must be a mistake.…”