A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf, first published in September 1929. The work is based on two lectures Woolf delivered in October 1928 at Newnham College and Girton College, women's constituent colleges at the University of Cambridge.An important feminist text, the essay argues for both a literal and figurative space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by men.
In her essay, Woolf uses metaphors to explore social injustices and comments on women’s lack of free expression. Her metaphor of a fish explains her most essential point, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”. She writes of a woman whose thought had “let its line down into the stream”. As the woman starts to think of an idea, a guard enforces a rule whereby women are not allowed to walk on the grass. …
A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf, first published in September 1929. The work is based on two lectures Woolf delivered in October 1928 at Newnham College and Girton College, women's constituent colleges at the University of Cambridge.An important feminist text, the essay argues for both a literal and figurative space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by men.
In her essay, Woolf uses metaphors to explore social injustices and comments on women’s lack of free expression. Her metaphor of a fish explains her most essential point, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”. She writes of a woman whose thought had “let its line down into the stream”. As the woman starts to think of an idea, a guard enforces a rule whereby women are not allowed to walk on the grass. Abiding by the rule, the woman loses her idea. Here, Woolf describes the influence of women's social expectations as mere domestic child bearers, ignorant and chaste. The control of literature has been granted to men as a consequence of this patriarchal domination.
The political meaning of the text is directly linked to this metaphor. When the emergence of the 'new woman' occurred, this awareness of injustice makes a clear political statement regarding women's intellectual potential in their own right. Therefore, the broader literary influence of this argument reveals the increase in social tension as the century's shift looms. Woolf suggests that the absence of female fiction is a result of a lack of opportunity rather than a distinct absence of talent.
The association between poverty and low achievement can also lead to disadvantages for generations. As women have been for decades marginalized and the patriarchy dominated literature, Woolf's general theory can be extended to many political circumstances. In this case, children are extremely conscious of their social status and thus aware of their own possibilities or absence, similar to the 'fish' metaphor in which women were aware of their position and lost their 'thinking'. It helps us to see how social problems shift shape, but the absence of opportunity still causes isolation and inequality. In this context, Woolf's work is seen as a political argument with direct applications in the real world. As the narrative lies inbetween, it enables society to use the general thesis of A Room of One’s Own to reference injustice of all kinds to many contemporary social issues. In conclusion, this wise applicability reveals the true importance of the political literary contribution of Woolf.
Bah c'était incroyable, j'adore le concept de suivre la creation de sa pensée en plus elle est très intelligente ça se ressent et c'est vraiment fluide et agréable à lire.
Par contre je dois passer à coter de BEAUCOUP de références à la littérature anglaise.
Je mets pas 5 pour laisser de la valeure à cette note mais il y a un moment que j'ai trouvé un peu plus mou et j'aurais aimé qu'elle aille plus en profondeur sur ses pensés mais sinon j'ai trop aimé
Pour moi ça a été une révélation ! Je l'avais lu plus jeune et relire cette traduction de Marie Darrieussecq m'a fait tout redécouvrir ! C'était génial. Je vais le garder et le relire sûrement plus tard encore et encre...
De quoi nous parle ce petit bouquin ? De femmes et de fiction. Plus précisément, des femmes romancière et poétesses. Ou plutôt de leur absence. « Beaucoup de livres écrits par des hommes parlent de femmes, mais il y a très peu de femmes qui parlent d'hommes ».
On est pas du tout dans une conférence ou un écrit académique (même si l'autrice connaît très bien ses classiques). Woolf nous déroule le fil de ses pensées sur les deux jours précédant la conférence. Il ne s'y passe factuellement pas grand chose: elle marche sur une pelouse, se voit refuser l'accès à la bibliothèque, mange bien le midi et mal le soir. Mais ce qui importe, c'est ce que ces événements suscitent tout un tas de pensées qui éclosent de manière un peu foutraque, comme les bulles d'une eau en train de frémir.
La thèse qu'elle défend parmi tant d'autres est …
De quoi nous parle ce petit bouquin ? De femmes et de fiction. Plus précisément, des femmes romancière et poétesses. Ou plutôt de leur absence. « Beaucoup de livres écrits par des hommes parlent de femmes, mais il y a très peu de femmes qui parlent d'hommes ».
On est pas du tout dans une conférence ou un écrit académique (même si l'autrice connaît très bien ses classiques). Woolf nous déroule le fil de ses pensées sur les deux jours précédant la conférence. Il ne s'y passe factuellement pas grand chose: elle marche sur une pelouse, se voit refuser l'accès à la bibliothèque, mange bien le midi et mal le soir. Mais ce qui importe, c'est ce que ces événements suscitent tout un tas de pensées qui éclosent de manière un peu foutraque, comme les bulles d'une eau en train de frémir.
La thèse qu'elle défend parmi tant d'autres est très joliment amenée. Très simplement, écrire demande du temps et un espace où réfléchir et travailler, temps et lieu que les femmes n'avaient tout simplement pas la possibilité d'avoir à cause du patriarcat. Il y a plein d'autres petites choses à picorer: j'y ai appris que le test de Bechdel est en fait inspiré de ce livre !
Le livre est agréable à lire de bout en bout, je ne l'ai pas lâché en trois jours. C'est plutôt bon signe.
Virginia Woolf explores the topic of "Women and Fiction". She describes a fictionalized research into this topic where she entertainingly experiences examples of her talking points during research. This style is very entertaining and makes it a breeze to read through this little essay.
In addition to her funny writing she's also making points that are sadly still relevant today. It's nothing advanced, but I'd say it's one of the best introductory texts into feminism.
Virginia Woolf explores the topic of "Women and Fiction". She describes a fictionalized research into this topic where she entertainingly experiences examples of her talking points during research. This style is very entertaining and makes it a breeze to read through this little essay.
In addition to her funny writing she's also making points that are sadly still relevant today. It's nothing advanced, but I'd say it's one of the best introductory texts into feminism.
Review of "Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Yoooo how come nobody told me Virginia Woolf was such a bad bitch?? Of course I know about her, have heard a lot about how she was a great writer, but nobody told me she was also playful and cheeky!
This essay is so fun because she's basically breaking the 4th wall constantly, taking us along on the whole essay ideation/inspiration/writing process. She opens the black box that is writing, makes it a journey, a lil adventure with a friend --- honestly... it IS about the friends me made along the way.
Content wise: she does critical theory, she mentions the male gaze, female archetypes, she says that #representationmatters. Queen!!!
And last but not least, I must acknowledge and address the one thing I had heard about her: she writes so beautifully. She really does have a way with words; she's able to turn the most mundane of things into …
Yoooo how come nobody told me Virginia Woolf was such a bad bitch?? Of course I know about her, have heard a lot about how she was a great writer, but nobody told me she was also playful and cheeky!
This essay is so fun because she's basically breaking the 4th wall constantly, taking us along on the whole essay ideation/inspiration/writing process. She opens the black box that is writing, makes it a journey, a lil adventure with a friend --- honestly... it IS about the friends me made along the way.
Content wise: she does critical theory, she mentions the male gaze, female archetypes, she says that #representationmatters. Queen!!!
And last but not least, I must acknowledge and address the one thing I had heard about her: she writes so beautifully. She really does have a way with words; she's able to turn the most mundane of things into poetic, awe-inducing happenings, e.g. sitting by a river, thinking, and having an idea:
"Thought [...] had let its line down into the stream. It swayed, minute after minute, hither and tither among the reflections and the weeds, letting the water lift it and sink it until - you know the little tug - the sudden conglomeration of an idea at the end of one's line: and then the cautious hauling of it in, and the careful laying of it out? Alas, laid on the grass how small, how insignificant this thought of mine looked; [...] But however small it was, it had, nevertheless the mysterious property of its kind - put back into the mind, it became at once very exciting, and important; and as it darted and sank, and flashed hither and tither, set up such a wash and tumult of ideas that it was impossible to sit still."
Review of "A Room of One's Own (Penguin Modern Classics)" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Brilliant method to addressing gendered domains. Woolf provides a great picture into the unequal footing men and women have at every stage of life, and explores the idea that what society considers important or historic may be what only men consider important.
I love how she attacks arguments head-on and re-scopes existing commentary on women, while asking her own interesting questions. It's difficult to think that someone could read Woolf and not come away a feminist.
Review of "A Room of One's Own (Penguin Modern Classics)" on Goodreads
4 stars
Why has so much intellect and treasure gone into producing property, education, and theories of superiority to justify the exclusion and suppression of women from society. It's a disservice to summarize this evocative essay of independence as a demand for women-controlled space and income.
Re-reading this amazing piece by Woolf was as good, if not better than when I first read it years ago. Woolf makes a strong case for women to seek their economic and through this their creative freedom, and she does it in her inimitable style.
Review of "Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf" on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
If I read this book 90 years ago (perhaps if I traveled back in time and judged the book's value for year 1929), I would had probably given it 5 stars. For nowadays it's however quite irrelevant and outdated and comes off as rambling. A good book if you are curious what someone like Virginia Woolf thought processes were like back in the day.
