Reading deeper into Virginia Woolf’s vicious diary entry | Letters
The article discusses the controversies surrounding Virginia Woolf's diary entry about encountering a group of learning-disabled people. Maggie Humm suggests that Woolf's recollection was a defense mechanism and a projection, while John Harris confuses Woolf's diary entry with her personal beliefs, associating her with contemporary eugenics. The article also mentions that under the Mental Deficiency Act 1913, Woolf could have been categorized as an "imbecile" during her mental health struggles, which she experienced firsthand through medical professionals' treatment and private asylums, as reflected in her novel Mrs Dalloway. The article highlights the complex and nuanced understanding required when examining historical figures' perspectives on disability and mental health.
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