Who's afraid Virginia Woolf?: psychopathology, time and creativity in Mrs. Dalloway

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest in the relationship between mental illness, mainly bipolar disorder and creativity. OBJECTIVES: To explore the presence of aspects linked to the personal life and medical history in the literary works written by English writer Virginia Woolf, who suffered from bipolar disorder. METHODS: One of her most important books, Miss Dalloway, was used as a means of research. This book is often cited as paradigmatic of the modern novel. RESULTS: The exploration of concepts such as inner time and aspects of delusion periods of the illness are described and analyzed in the context of psychopathology. DISCUSSION: The artistic brilliance of using personal experiences during periods of her illness in Miss Dalloway not only praises the work of Virginia Woolf, as it opens an interesting example to study the relationship between art, mental illness, yet little explored in the work of the author.