War Trauma and Loss of Freedom in Mrs Dalloway. 22 Oct. 2023

Virginia Woolf Season IV: Woolf and Freedom

Lecture 2. War Trauma and Loss of Freedom in Mrs Dalloway.

Mrs Dalloway (1925) is, among many other things, a war novel. Woolf was one of the first writers to explore the experiences of war-traumatised veterans after the Great War of 1914-18, through the character of Septimus Smith. We will explore how trauma affects Septimus and those around him, and the effects of trauma upon autonomy and freedom.

Mrs Dalloway is also a novel about politics, set in the heart of Westminster at a complex time in world politics. Is there a promise of freedom, after the terrible sufferings of the war?

In 1918, all men over 21 and some women were finally granted the vote in Britain. Is this important in Woolf’s novel - and what might it mean for freedom? We will ask what, if anything, this new right means to Septimus Smith.

With Dr Trudi Tate, Emeritus Fellow of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge and Director of Literature Cambridge.

Sunday 22 October 2023
18.00-20.00 British Summer Time
19.00-21.00 Central European Summer Time

Prices
£32.00 Full price
£27.00 Students, CAMcard holders
£27.00 Members of the VWSGB

All prices include VAT at 20%.