Women And Fiction A Room Of Ones Own

Author : Virginia Woolf
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781523932856
Total Pages : 102 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (328 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book A Room of One's Own written by Virginia Woolf and published by . This book was released on 2016-02-07 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ten Years after Women Got The Vote, They Still Couldn't Write Virginia Woolf tried to tell us why in 1928. "A woman must have money and a room of her own to write." Most still had neither. Of course, it wasn't all just men at fault in this. There had been women writing books long before this. That didn't change the fact that the craft was male-dominated. But that status quo was mostly by choice. On both sides. The circle needed to be broken. To start this process, Woolf used to invitation "to speak on the topic of 'women and fiction'" to give a series of lectures a Newnham and Girton Colleges (part of Cambridge University) in October 1928. Published a year later, this book's title is an argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by men. Too Distracted to Write Good Fiction Woolf examined classic literary works of the past and wonders why most, until the 19th Century, were written by men, and why most of the works published by women in the 19th Century were fiction. She comes to the logical conclusion that women in the past had little to no time to write because of their childbearing and raising responsibilities. There is also the fact that they were not educated and were forbidden or discouraged from writing. When they did begin to write, they only had the common sitting rooms of Elizabethan homes to do so in, which did not provide much solitude or peace of mind, as it was open to any interruption and distraction that came along. Woolf argues passionately that true independence comes with economic well-being. This is true for countries, governments, individuals, and writers, especially female writers. Without financial security it is impossible for any writer to have the luxury of writing for writing's sake. The essay examines whether women were capable of producing, and in fact free to produce work of the quality of William Shakespeare, addressing the limitations that past and present women writers face. When she concluded that to achieve their full greatness as writers women will need a solid income and privacy, Woolf pretty much invented modern feminist criticism. Not Her Typical Writing Style Surprisingly, this long essay about society and art and sexism is one of Woolf's most accessible works. This is a very long essay about feminism, independence, writing, and becoming one's own person. With all those themes, it is actually quite readable, quite educational, and quite wonderful. The reader, at least this one, feels she's in the presence of a great mind at work. She does not waste her words or her energy on destructive, angry prattling. She writes with a depth of humanity that challenges us to be better writers, better thinkers, and better people. Unlike a sad number of feminist writers, Woolf does not make the mistake of tearing down the accomplishments of men in order to make room for those of women. Indeed, she speaks eloquently against just that danger. Why You Should Read This Book (Again.) Any fiction writer should study this text with an idea to free themselves from the prejudices of the past. Today's world almost takes it for granted that women will have their own income, at least in Western countries. This book is a manifesto for true independence of a writer from any sexual or cultural stereotypes. Financial and family obligations need to be under control so that a writer is free to imagine and produce in necessary solitude - if even for scraps of time during the day. It is only then that a writer (regardless of sex) would find their true voice. It is also a very inspiring book for any aspiring write to read. Scroll up to get your copy now.