Modernist Voices in Mrs. Dalloway: A Study of Mental Health, Gender, and Woolf’s Narrative Innovation

Abstract

This paper investigates Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway as a pivotal work in modernist literature, focusing on its exploration of mental health, gender roles, and narrative innovation. The study seeks to analyze how Woolf’s innovative narrative techniques and thematic concerns contribute to our understanding of these issues. Mrs. Dalloway is a key text in modernist literature, noted for its deep psychological insight and narrative experimentation. The novel portrays complex themes such as mental health and gender roles within the context of post-World War I England. Woolf’s use of stream of consciousness and fragmented narrative structure reflects broader modernist concerns and feminist critiques, making it a significant subject for literary analysis. The study employs a textual analysis of Mrs. Dalloway. It draws on theoretical frameworks from modernist literature, feminist criticism, and psychological theory to examine Woolf’s portrayal of mental health, gender roles, and narrative innovation. The analysis reveals that Woolf’s depiction of mental health through characters like Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith offers a nuanced view of psychological distress and societal neglect. The study also highlights how Woolf critiques traditional gender roles through her characters and narrative structure. Furthermore, her use of stream of consciousness and non-linear time underscores her modernist experimentation and contributes to feminist literary criticism. Future research should explore the intersections of mental health and narrative techniques in modernist literature and assess the impact of Woolf’s innovations on subsequent literary movements. Further studies could also examine how historical and cultural contexts influence the portrayal of gender and mental health in modernist texts, providing new insights into Woolf’s influence on contemporary feminist and psychological criticism.