What if Septimus Smith Lived Today?

In Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, Septimus Smith is easily a standout in the book with his compelling backstory, tumultuous thought process, and the way Woolf is able to experiment with her writing style when writing from his perspective. However, his tragic death by suicide is easily the most gruesomely fascinating thing about his character. As shocking as it is, one can't help but wonder how his fate would have played out if he had received proper care instead of being misunderstood and nearly mocked for his trauma. Without downplaying Septimus's condition and experiences, one can easily argue that many of the factors that led to him taking his life were products of their time. 

Septimus's short life was pre-determined when he was young. He fought in the war not because he wanted to (he would much rather enjoy reading Shakespeare and watching plays) but because it was seen as the natural duty of a man to serve his country and perhaps die heroically in the process. In a war today (with no mandatory draft), Septimus would have most likely not been a soldier since today, in conventional Western society, manhood is not necessarily unlocked through something as intense or violent as war. Maybe, instead, he would have gone on to be a playwright and lived happily ever after. We can end the conversation entirely at that. However, what if Septimus still went off to a hypothetical war today? What if he still saw entire legions of his allies being wiped out and his best friend dying in combat? The scarring effects of witnessing these events were called shell shock back then, more commonly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) today. In 1923, he was seen as a bumbling fool on the street. His doctors have nothing to offer without ulterior motives and misunderstand him to the point where he loathes them, loses trust in the entire world, and eventually chooses to commit suicide. On top of this, though he decided on his end, he could have been executed instantly upon his arrival home because of his strange behavior and "cowardice." 

Things may have turned out a lot differently for him today. Many war veterans today do not have much waiting for them upon their return home, but Septimus still would have thankfully had Rezia waiting for him as a support system, which is crucial for someone with his condition. Today, he would have been immediately diagnosed with PTSD, which has been well-researched for decades, or even possible brain injury. One often overlooked cause of shellshock was the physical brain injury resulting from shockwaves from explosions or nearby bullets damaging the brain and causing mental illness. Possible surgery could have directly helped him. However, assuming that he only suffers from the cognitive effects of PTSD, there are quite a few resources that could have helped him. Defence Medical Services (DMS) commissions mental health care services in the UK. One service, in particular, stands out: the Combat Stress charity, which helped 14,000 veterans in the UK suffering from PTSD last year. They have a 3-step journey listed on their website: a number that veterans call that goes straight to their helpline, where the patient provides an advisor their background information, information about their military service, and what they need help with. In step 2, a team of mental health specialists review the request, and then build a pathway for the patient with their particular needs in step 3. 

Thankfully, many more resources and proper research are dedicated to mental health today. These could have helped Septimus out much more than the pseudoscience ingenuity that contributed to his end in the book.