“A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf, Woolf stated that ” here then was I (call me Mary Beton, Mary Setion, Mary Carmichael or by any name you please – it is not a matter of any importance)” in the chapter one. (340) It showed the readers that the narrator was a fictionalized character instead that she was not her. The lack of identity of narrator gave the readers that everyone could be the narrator. It also made the narrator more convincing. By using “I”, Woolf emphasized the fact that women were not treated equally as men were which due to the sexism and traditional bonds.
In the chapter one, the narrator had two expulsions because of the sexism in Oxbridge College. When the narrator was warned off the university lawn, instantly a man intercepted her. After she realized that the man intercepted her only because she was a woman. The man said that “Only the Fellows and Scholars are allowed here; the gravel is the place for me [narrator]” (341) In addition, she was forbidden to enter the library. “he waved me back that ladies are only admitted to the library if accompanied by a fellow of the College or furnished with a letter of introduction.” (342) Two expulsions could explain to the readers that the narrator was treated unequally just because of her sex; It also was a symbol of education culture which was a invasion to the women’s mind. After that, Woolf used personification to describe the library which slept forever, moreover, the narrator made decision that she would not come back to the library at all in order to show how angry she was. (342) In the of period time, Woolf described the sound of music was sorrowful to set off the emotion of narrator because she was not treated as the same as men.
Woolf was carefully not to blame men for the unequal treatments towards women in the chapter two. Instead, she considered the reasons caused the gender inequality, such as women were not independent in finance. The narrator got five hundred pounds a year by her aunt, as a result, she did not need to do hard works to earn money and survive her life. Instead, she thought that “I need not hate any men, he can not hurt me.”(360) She forgave men for their injustices to women when she was independent in her finance. She claimed that when she enjoyed the luxury of finance, she also got freedom. On the other hand, she thought that it was a reason for a woman why they could not write well because of lack of independent finance.
Woolf also found that how unequally women were treated in history. First of all, she stated that “Wife beating” was a right for men; then what effect was when a daughter refused to marry the man of her parents’ choice. Even though women who lived in upper class family, they rarely were allowed to choose their husbands by themselves.(362) She thought that women were considered as the property of their families or husbands. How could they have ability to write well in the situation?
She conjured the imaginary character of Shakespeare’s sister to show that women could not be as well as men because they were treated in two different ways. Both Shakespeare and his sister lived in the same background. For Shakespeare, he could do what he wanted to do and people would support him. Compare to Shakespeare, the sister could not get education. Even though she read books, her mother would ask her to change her mind, instead of caring about housework. Woolf also described how other people reacted when they knew that a woman wanted to be a player in order to explain why a woman could not have the same achievement in any areas.
Do you agree or disagree that a woman has to be independently wealthy in order to write well?why?
You did a great job in pointing out the many examples Woolf gave when she felt inferior to men. I’m glad you pointed out the fact that she didn’t blame men for inequality because that is also one point that stuck to me throughout this essay. I believe the author implied that this sexist behavior is so easily integrated in our society that a lot of the times we don’t even notice it. Like the example of when the man pointed out that women have to be accompanied by men to enter the library, I felt as though the man in his mind was trying to be helpful, while entirely ignoring the notion of what was wrong with what he had just said. This kind of thing still happens in our society. For example, one of my friend recently pointed out to me that every time she goes to the gym, almost every time, the guys try to help her figure out how to use certain machines. Although, in their mind they’re trying to be helpful, what they’re actually doing is assuming that a girl is simply not capable of knowing how to work those machines on her own. This example may be a far stretch, but the idea of the oblivious sexism remains the same.
Again, the issue of women and their equal acceptance in society is captured throughout Woolf’s text. She provides numerous claims that degrade the value of women and how they can be viewed as second class citizens, that of which ultimately holds them as property. You highlighted the many claims that Woolf stated in her work. Each and every scenario given, such as the walking on grass or the financial difficulties that women face, were properly acquainted to Woolf’s central argument. Everything that you noted in your blog successfully portrays the unequal conditions faced by women in society. Woolf’s central argument, I believe, is that for a women to write fiction or write literature, she would need a “room of ones own” and “500 pounds” or a source of wealth or financial stability. You raise a controversial, but just question. I disagree with the fact that a women needs to be independently wealthy in order to write well. She sure needs a private environment or a room of her own, but monetary acquisitions or wealth does not play a crucial role in producing great art in literature. It will, on the contrary, lessen the value of that specific work and of the writer, because if money was involved then the writer would might not have given his or hers ideal intent in actually writing the work. It would merely be just an ordinary piece of work, with no initial value. Therefore, for a women to write well, or in fact for a person to write well, they must write with sincere intent and depend on their talent in order to produce a valuable piece of literary work.