Mrs Dalloway

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Character Analysis

Dr Holmes

Dr Holmes is a general practitioner who Septimus sees to help with PTSD. Dr Holmes downplays the significance and seriousness of Septimus’ condition. He believes that there is nothing wrong with Septimus and advises him to simply take an interest in things beyond himself and find a hobby. Dr Holmes says that playing cricket or going to a music hall are good methods of noticing real things and getting rid of Septimus’ hallucinations – though this would have been more understandable to Woolf’s audience at the time, as contemporary readers we can acknowledge how woefully inadequate such attitudes and suggestions are.

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