By Anoushka Rawat

Abstract

A Room of One’s Own explores the societal constraints and patriarchal norms that are often imposed on a woman’s intellectual and creative pursuits. Originally delivered as a series of lectures, this seminal essay also portrays Woolf’s journey towards artistic expression. The central theme revolves around Virginia Woolf’s premise that for a woman to produce literary or artistic work, she must possess financial independence and a space of her own. Despite it being published in September 1929, decades later, it still remains a critical literary work in feminist literature.

Book Review

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was an English essayist and a prolific novelist who was also regarded as a prominent feminist. Her works circled in support of the first wave of feminism. ‘A Room of One’s Own’ is considered her primary work in terms of feminist literature where she broadly dwells upon the theme of gender equality. The first feminist wave (late nineteenth and early twentieth century) was marked by suffrage rights movements and facilitated women with greater opportunities in different spheres of life. Apart from being a feminist icon, she was a core member of the Bloomsbury Group, a gathering of influential thinkers and writers. It was majorly known for its discussions and deliberations on intellectual, societal and artistic matters.

‘A Room of One’s Own’ is an extended essay, published in 1928, which is based on the lectures delivered by Virginia Woolf at Newnham College Girton College, the first two colleges for women to be established under the aegis of Cambridge University. Therein she addressed the status of women in the world of art and literature. The major theme of this essay revolves around her premise that for a woman to write creatively, she must possess money and a room of her own. To support this argument of hers, she lays down several imaginative examples and experiences.

Virginia Woolf was of the opinion that women are incapacitated with the same amount of intellect and creativity as men and thus, could produce literary and artistic compositions. It was just years of prejudice and educational and financial disadvantages that inhibited the flow of their creativity. Essentially, they were deprived of the basic prerequisites to write a work of fiction and art. To provide evidence to the aforementioned argument, the narrator of ‘A Room of One’s Own’ tries to investigate the works of women writers. This could have aided her to situate the life of an average woman. But astonishingly there wasn’t enough literary evidence that could trace back the lives of women. After failing to acquire any such work, she invents the example of Judith Shakespeare, the hypothetical sister of William Shakespeare. Even though Judith could have been as successful as her brother, she ends up committing suicide without ever writing a word. This is so as she neither got the opportunity to receive a formal education nor to explore different landscapes that could have broadened her horizon. Rather her father tries to marry her off and even when she escapes her marital alliance to pursue theatrical work she is rebuked by the society. Whereas, her brother, William Shakespeare goes on to be regarded as a literary giant.

This could be viewed as an example emanating from Virginia Woolf’s personal experience as well. While her brothers were sent to eminent schools and universities, she was tutored privately thus, restricting the prospect of her being an alumni of a scholastic institution. This suggests the patriarchal framework of the society in which Virginia Woolf was situated. Moreover, the influential Bloomsbury Group originally started as “Thursday Evenings” wherein her brother Thoby’s friends from Cambridge University were hosted regularly by Virginia and her sister Vanessa.

Secondly, the essay emphasizes the fact as to how social and material conditions affect the expansion and limitation of art and creativity. Historically, women were made to internalise that they were incapable of everything except domestic work, childbearing and childrearing. Constant repetition of this idea led to women trivialising their own work. Even when they seldom expressed their art it was published under the veil of a man’s name. The essay gives the examples of Currer Bell (originally Charlotte Bronte), George Eliot (originally Mary Ann Evans) and George Sand (originally Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil). Adoption of male pen names was a practice seen widely amongst female artists as the patriarchal framework of the society regarded publicity as a trait outside the ambit of femininity (“Anonymity runs in their blood”). Moreover, as women were considered as individuals under the ‘superior authority’ of men, they had to seek a man’s approval to pursue their goal of writing.

Furthermore, women never got access to a space that they could consider as their own. A room which she could call as hers, could have facilitated to thinking better and eventually writing better. To show the importance of a room just for the female member of the family, the essay provides an example of how Jane Austen had to hide manuscripts of her novels in different areas of her house. A quiet room wherein a female novelist could be alone without being interrupted by domestic chorus would have facilitated her thoughts to flow incessantly. Moreover, the essay points out another obstacle in a woman’s path to pursue writing which is lack of alone time. “Women never have a half an hour…that they can call their own- she was always interrupted”. This leads to the extrapolation that the domestic environment surrounding a woman writer never really aided her to achieve an optimal level of concentration required for writing.

Third, the essay points out as to how early marital alliances of women inhibited her levels of creativity. Early marriage meant early pregnancies due to which a majority of her daily routine revolved around taking care of kids. Additionally, the presence of children contracts personal space and privacy. To support this premise, Virginia Woolf provides the example of notable female novelists, Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen, and their similarity of being childless. Early marriages and childbirth also limited her possibilities of travelling to distant lands to further expand her experiences. A vivid basket of experiences assists the mind of a writer in producing an eclectic work of fiction.

Fourth, it gives utmost prominence to a woman’s financial independence which subsequently allows her to actualize her full artistic and intellectual potential. It allows them to be autonomous and independent, away from the authority of men, and live and lead their lives on their own terms. Besides that, monetary stability would empower her enough to self-finance her education and other resources thus, breaking the patriarchal shackles of the society. Considering that the essay was drafted and published during the first wave of feminism, the author mentions how financial security, time and privacy for women are more significant than political and suffrage rights. Yet, she does mention that the provision of political action for women holds importance too, but, immediate attention is required to the aforementioned set of goals (financial security, time and privacy).

In conclusion, Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Room of One’s Own’ is regarded as a timeless classic and a key text of feminist literature. The lecture-turned essay sheds light on varied concerns ranging from gender equality and the relationship between societal constraints and creativity. Moreover, it illustrates the life of the author through certain imaginary examples provided in the essay. It binds together the multifaceted reasons for the lack of women-centric literature ranging from historical hindrances to educational, financial and social backwardness. Moreover, it highlights the direct relationship between levels of creativity and the provision of basic prerequisites that facilitate a mind to write. It vividly encapsulates the life and state of women during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Hence, the essay still stands out as a thought provoking work that is carefully crafted in a way which doesn’t turn any of the sexes against each other.

Author’s Bio

Anoushka Rawat is a second-year student of Bachelors in Global Affairs, at the Jindal School of International Affairs. She is deeply interested in the area of gender studies and varied perspectives of feminism.

Image Source: Carl Vilhelm Holsøe | Interior with the artist’s wife sitting with her needlework next to an open window | MutualArt