On Being Ill (New Edition)

What does it mean to be ill, both physically and mentally? In this essay, Virginia Woolf explores the phenomenon of illness as a central topic in literature. In this short essay, she explains her opinion on why illness should be a key aspect of literature, just like love, death, and other themes. She thought that within illness there is a kind of freedom, the freedom to act unapologetically and to return, in some ways, to a childlike state. This essay was really interesting and offered many new perspectives and ideas. Furthermore, the historical context is also very interesting, as the essay was written after Woolf experienced a mental crisis. Because of this, it provides additional insight and helps explain why she was so convinced that illness should play a bigger role in human reality and, therefore, in literature.