[Vwoolf] Speculative recuperations of Woolf's suicide

Sat Jun 16 12:20:34 EDT 2012

This is exactly the type of thing I’m talking about.  Woolf was specific in her suicide letter as to why she took her life, and when her contemporaries began to hypothesize that she committed suicide because she feared Nazi invasion etc, Leonard quoted the letter publicly in order to stop that nonsense—which it seems to me is an unfortunate thing to have to do when your partner has just died.  Mental illness is the main reason most people commit suicide, and it’s why Woolf committed suicide.  She specifically said so and did not mention other reasons.  The “carefully considered choice” is just another form of the romantic madwoman (or genius) throwing herself into the abyss—an attempt to recuperate as “altruistic” something that is the result of mental illness.  That is a dangerous direction for Woolf scholars to go, in my opinion, because we seem then to throw the weight of our authority as Woolf scholars (and teachers/professors) behind a recuperative attitude towards suicide that does not encourage our students, readers, or audience members who might be fascinated with her suicide because they themselves contemplate suicide to get the medical help they need.  I think we would have been better off to have another thirty or so years of writing from Woolf; her suicide ranks as one of those horrible things that happens in life that it’s too bad Leonard or someone didn’t see coming and manage to stop.  I can’t recuperate it.  I wouldn’t want to try.  And I prefer the facts.

Brenda Helt, PhD

From: vwoolf-bounces+helt0010=umn.edu at lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:vwoolf-bounces+helt0010=umn.edu at lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of jeannette smyth
Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2012 8:42 AM
To: Woolf list
Subject: Re: [Vwoolf] Apocryphal lines & Woolf's suicide

Thank you for this excellent Orr information; I know Sir Leslie's financial anxiety was formative in Woolf's life, as well as Virginia's and Leonard's natural asceticism and frugality. 

Another factor in her suicide, as I understand it, was the imminence of a Nazi invasion. I think this is mentioned, rather brutally, by Vanessa, in one of her letters to Virginia -- the prospect of being an "invalid" or raving lunatic at such a time, with both Leonard and herself on Hitler's to-kill list. 

Finally, as I understand it, Adrian Stephen, a physician, had provided them all with a suicide pill in the event of a successful Nazi invasion. 

These factors, along with the Bloomsberries' longstanding atheism and Leonard's carefully cultivated stoicism (via Montaigne/Seneca), would have made Virginia Woolf's suicide the altruistic, logical, long-contemplated, communitarian and sane decision -- the absolute opposite of a romantic madwoman's hurling herself into the abyss -- that it seems to have been.

Thanks.

Jeannette Smyth

-----Original Message----- 
From: "Neverow, Vara S." 
Sent: Jun 14, 2012 8:36 AM 
To: "helt0010 at umn.edu" , Woolf list 
Cc: Wayne Chapman 
Subject: Re: [Vwoolf] Apocryphal lines & Woolf's suicide 

With regard to Woolf's suicide, I would recommend that Woolfians also consult the monograph Virginia Woolf's Illnesses by Douglass W. Orr <http://www.clemson.edu/cedp/cudp/pubs/orr/main.htm <http://www.clemson.edu/cedp/cudp/pubs/orr/main.htm%3e> >. Orr argues very convincingly that Woolf's suicide was linked to financial anxieties. If she were to have needed nursing care, the costs would have been devastating. Chapter 14 of the volume is exceptionally informative on this topic and can be read in a searchable PDF format (many thanks to Wayne Chapman, for not only publishing the manuscript but also making it so readily accessible!).

Vara Neverow

From: Brenda Helt <helt0010 at umn.edu>
Reply-To: "helt0010 at umn.edu" <helt0010 at umn.edu>
To: VWOOLF listserv <vwoolf at lists.service.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: [Vwoolf] Apocryphal lines & Woolf's suicide

Um, then don’t?  I’m disturbed by tendencies among scholars and others to attempt to recuperate Woolf’s suicide in ways that might make it seem a model for those who see her as an icon.  She left a suicide note—in fact, she left two.  Leonard is also on record as to the reasons for the suicide.  Surely it’s sufficient to stick to the primary source evidence of what Woolf actually said before taking her life, together with the long history of her fight with mental illness as recorded in her diaries and letters as well as in Leonard’s autobiography, Vanessa’s letters, etc.  I think we tread on dangerous ground when we give voice in the classroom or on the stage or in print to a redemptive view of Woolf’s suicide that the evidence does not support.  She feared she was again going mad and would not recover this time.  She calls what she suffers from a “disease,” which it is.  This is what she said.  Why not tell students about that fear and have a discussion about depression, bipolar disorder, and mental illness more generally?  About the likely outcomes of not getting such diseases treated properly—“proper” treatment was not available for Woolf at this time.  Of course, do your research first.  And Hermione Lee’s biography of Woolf is quite solidly grounded in the facts on the issue of her suicide.  I’d read her pages dedicated to the suicide before talking about it with students.

Hope that’s helpful.

Brenda Helt

From: vwoolf-bounces+helt0010=umn.edu at lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:vwoolf-bounces+helt0010=umn.edu at lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of Melody Wilson
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 6:14 AM
To: atleswoolf at aol.com
Cc: Vwoolf at lists.service.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Re: [Vwoolf] Apocryphal lines

Interesting--I'm very troubled about putting words in her mouth as well.

Be Wise

On Jun 14, 2012, at 6:12 AM, atleswoolf at aol.com wrote:

As far as I know, these lines are the screenwriter David Hare's and not Michael Cunningham's.  They don't appear in the novel -- only in the film.  I read somewhere a while back that Hare said he was nervous about putting such words into Woolf's mouth, or something to that effect.

Best, 

Drew Shannon

College of Mount St. Joseph

-----Original Message-----
From: Melody Wilson <melodywilson at tds.net>
To: Vwoolf at lists.osu.edu <Vwoolf at lists.service.ohio-state.edu>
Sent: Thu, Jun 14, 2012 8:51 am
Subject: [Vwoolf] Apocryphal lines

Dear Woolfians:
I am writing a eulogy, and after showing The Hours in my class (we had read 
Dalloway), I was struck by the final lines I paraphrase as to look life in the 
face and to love it...then to put it away (I'm stuck in this screen and can't 
verify).  I have done a preliminary search and think these are cunningham's 
lines (he attributes them to one of the suicide notes).  Can anyone verify that 
these lines are not Woolf's?  I will probably open w them anyway as the are 
appropriate but I would like to know.  Thanks for your help.

Be Wise

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