Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway

In addition to this social transition, the outbreak of World War I brought about a type of warfare that the world had never seen. The lives of the survivors, be them soldiers or civilians, could never be the same after the war.
             Several psychological problems may develop when an individual experiences severe trauma, such as serving in a war. If not properly dealt with, these problems can bring on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Due to the horrible conditions that World War I soldiers endured, it was no surprise that many of them developed PTSD, either during the war or upon returning home.
             In her novel, Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf addresses the subject of "shell-shock," or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, in the character of Septimus Warren Smith. Through the eyes of Septimus, the reader becomes aware of how the brutality of war can affect the human psyche. Woolf also reveals how the post-war society of London responded to individuals with shell-shock.
             World War I.
             World War I, also called the Great War, lasted from 1914 to 1918, and began as a local conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. The war between these two entities was sparked by the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian and Hungarian thrones, by a Serb nationalist. The war became a European conflict when war was declared upon Russia by Austria Hungary on august 1, 1914. The war soon became global, involving thirty-two countries. Of these countries, twenty-eight joined forces to become the Allies and Associated Powers; they included Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the United States. The countries in opposition to them were known as the Central Powers, including Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria. After four long years of grim combat, the Allies won when the Central Powers collapsed. The final blow was issued by the Allies with Germany's signing of the Versailles Treaty in 1919.