woolf

Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” broke new territory in suggesting that the reason there were very few acknowledged women’s writers at this time was because women lead hard lives in comparison to men and that the conditions needed to produce women writers was not conducive for them at this time. Her response was that for women to write literature they must have a room of their own, both literaraly and symbolically. This entailed real space and privacy for women to write in, the financial freedom to write without enduring unwanted jobs, women role models and the freedom and power to choose their own career path. Throughout this course the majority of women we have studied have had the privilege of fulfilling these requirements and thus had ‘a room of one’s own.’ Therefore, to be a successful female writer it is essential to have a room of one’s own, although I believe that the above requirements are not all necessary and that today’s room has changed.

Women’s lives were made less accessible to writing because of the requirements on women. Women were the wives, cooks, cleaners and employees. Women were responsible for bearing and raising the children and because of this they were at a disadvantag

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It is important to note Woolf is making this argument for women writers specifically but her case is applicable to any area of human culture, be it philosophy, dance, science or music. Women were shut up in unwanted families that force them to become economically, psychologically and physically dependent on men. For example, society did not encourage women to become writers and made it difficult to attempt to do so because men measure themselves off of women. Yes, women still need their own space but does this have to be a room or can it be a spot under the tree in a park or a favorite section in the library? Women need the opportunity of having privacy and space to themselves and also the prospect to meet with others to discuss and challenge one another. She was an adamant fighter of women’s issues, “increased mother’s pensions, more help for unemployed women, prison reforms and home for delinquent girls. You cannot, it seems, let children run about the streets. Throughout time, Woolf argues, women have been slaves, often locked up, not free to choose their partner and frequently beaten by their husbands. ” (Woolf, 22) Women were not encouraged and supported to write, Woolf supports these arguments with the use of historical, political and literal figures.

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. Can society not encourage those who want to mother and nurture to do so while also encouraging men and fathers to nurture as well? I think that in many cases we are seeing more men take responsibility in fathering so as to encourage and promote women the opportunities and time to further themselves, be it through writing or dance. Bykeeping women in the home with children kept men in power and control. “She is defined and differentiated with reference to man and not he with reference to her,’ Beauvoir writes. “To earn money was impossible for them, and in the second, had it been possible, the law denied them the right to posses what money they earned. “She is the incidental, the inessential as opposed to the essential.

Approximate Word count = 1318
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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