Analysis Of Warren Smith And Orlandos Condition Of...

Septimus Warren Smith and Orlando both suffer from conditions that cause them to experience a break from reality. Septimus’ condition of â€Å"shell-shock† is detrimental to his ability to reenter society, as his guilt manifests in delusions that demand him to kill himself as punishment for his inability to feel emotion. In Mrs. Dalloway, his condition is treated seriously. While the reader knows that he is mentally unstable, he is also shown as intelligent, through his ability to see through men, like Dr. Bradshaw and Dr. Holmes, who are used to fooling people into believing they have their best interests in mind. In contrast, Orlando’s condition of extreme melancholy, which renders him comatose for seven days, is framed as the clichà ©d and melodramatic result of having one’s heart broken. Comedic and familiar, the reader is able to poke fun at Orlando through the trope of a burned lover while also understanding his desire to break free of the restricti ons of his heritage. While their conditions greatly very, both men struggle with the repression of their emotions, are overcome with a preoccupation with death, and return to writing and reading literature, while in their respective conditions. In Mrs. Dalloway, Septimus Warren Smith struggles with the repression of his emotions as a result of war. Before going to war, Septimus is described as a man who felt his emotions deeply, this is shown when he thinks back over his love for Isabel Pole, â€Å" [†¦] such a fire only burns once in