Virginia Woolf\'s View of Women

Virginia Woolf's View of Women in a Room of One's Own and its relevance today"

The issue of women in literature dates back to the earliest written word. Perspectives change over time and across cultures. Literature and the roles of women are no different. There are many challenges that have faced women throughout our existence, but perhaps more so in the last couple centuries. Virginia Woolf, the author of a Room of One's Own, felt that literature was "impoverished beyond our counting by the doors that have been shut upon women" (Woolf 59)*

That was the sentiment of many women just a century ago, but as the roles of women within societies have evolved so have the societies themselves -- perhaps in part to accommodate these changes and make way for a rejuvenated view of women. A key change that can be noted is that of literature. Literature is our window into society and times past. it's an art form that allows us to view the world as it was viewed by the author and gives us insight into the issues, debates and struggles of the time. This teaches us, not only where we have come from, but in many ways it gives us a glimpse into the future and allows us to see where we are going. In a Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf presents a multi-faceted look at the presence -- and, more importantly, the absence -- of women in this art form, focusing on women as the subject of the art as well as the creator through historical, sociological, and economic lenses. It is important to look at these topics from Woolf's perspective and analyze their relevance then and now. Just as Woolf explained that even she could not come to a conclusion concerning women in literature (Woolf 4) *

-- My hope is not to come to a definite conclusion, but to simply express a series of ideas, the opinions I associate with them, and explain how I arrived there.

Woman as the Subject of Literature:

Women have been, at least in part, the subject of literature since its creation. The role of the woman in literature, however, has changed a great deal. In early literature it is fair to think of the woman as a subject rather than star of the story. In early literature, whether it is fairy tales, epic poems or even religious text, the woman always seems to play a subservient role. Women are often the subject of literature in the sense that they are either weak and in need of rescuing -- the classic idea of the damsel in distress, or they are the evil temptress trying to thwart man's progress - as with Circes and the Sirens in the Odyssey. This is simply a sign of the times. Women have always been thought of as the weaker sex, both physically and morally. Ever since the temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden women have been thought of as the thorn in Man's side -- a necessary evil- and even described with imagery matching that of the serpent. This idea of women as the weaker and less noble sex has lead to a patriarchal dominance in the majority of cultures worldwide. Women are, to various degrees among cultures, told that they are inferior and that their purpose is subservience and child rearing. Teresa Brennan, hit the nail on the head with the idea that "Always and everywhere the rational, active, masculine intellect operates on the passive, objectified, feminized body" (Brennan

. Literature has proven to be no different as it's stories are simply an extension of the people and cultures that produce them. Over time, however, we have seen a shift in the concept of women and their role not only in our stories, but in our lives.

Historical Perspectives Then and Now

The Literary Woman vs. The Real Woman:

In looking at literature, one can't help but notice how much it has changed over time. We've come a long way from Beowulf to Harry Potter and while many things in literature have remained the same, there is much to be said for the changes that have taken place. One of those changes is the role that women play as the subjects and participants of our stories. Virginia Woolf took a stand for this idea in her book, to the Lighthouse. The idea of the struggling female artist who had given up the ideals of motherhood and in many ways womanhood to pursue art might have seemed absurd at the time, but Woolf was a pioneer for women. She championed feminist ideals before they were popular and worked, through her writing, to offer society a different view of Woman. In to the Lighthouse "Woolf captures a woman painter at moments of breakthrough, not only into professionalism, but also into serious exploration of the emotional and intellectual possibilities of her art" (Munca 281) *

. This coincides with the concepts in a Room of One's Own where Woolf explains what a woman must have in order to obtain these things. Historically however, it has often been a fantasy for a woman to possess anything of her own, let alone a room or money with which to fund whatever artistic endeavors she found herself interested in. For many years women's role in litereature was simply that of the subject, and a poor subject at that, but thanks to feminist efforts such as those championed by Virgina Woolf time has slowly but surely seen a change in the world's view of women as the subject of literature and the subject of life itself.

Women had been the subject of literature long before Woolf and though she certainly was not the only feminist of her time, she is still known today because of stories like these. She did what she did well, and that was tell the story of Woman. However, it wasn't one of subservience and reliance; it was one of breakthrough and independence. Throughout history we have seen women's role as the subject of literature evolve. Credit must be given, at least in part, to the gift of communication possesed by women like Virgina Woolf. As Sara Mills states in her book Feminist Sylistics, an "analysis of language can help the reader be aware of ideologies of gender difference which are oppressive" (11) *

. Woolf took this concept and made it reality in a Room of One's Own, and thanks to the efforts of women like her, the concept of Woman can now be considered its own entity among literary characters and holds just as much weight as their masculine counterparts. This is in part because of a social shift that has taken place concerning women and the idea of what a woman is. A shift that is in no small part a result of feminist writing.

Sociological Perspectives Then and Now

Society's Perspective of the Woman:

Society's perspective of women has changed a great deal over time. In recent centuries a shift has taken place leading us away from the idea of men as the dominant sex. Though we haven't escaped from that concept completely, we have left many chauvanistic ideas behind in the pursuit of progress and social equality. If we go back in time, we remember that there have been many periods in which women didn't have any choice but to marry and have a family. Society made it pretty much impossible for a woman to function independantly and any woman who tried was viewed, at the very least, as a social deviant. Women were to marry and whatever they owned or brought with them as a dowry then became the property of their husband (Gamble 4) *

. This created for women a huge barrier to progress, independence, education, or equality of any kind. Even in Woolf's story a Room of One's Own, her character is shooed away from a campus library and told that she could only enter if "accompanied by a Fellow of the College or furnished with a letter of introduction" (Woolf 6) *

. This concept seems absurd today, but for a long time women were not even allowed to be educated. If they were it was done in private, and often in secret for fear of reprisal from a male authority figure. Society's view of women was one of inferiority. Over time, with the advent of modern culture and in many ways as a result of necessity, women have managed to carve out a niche for themselves within society.

Today, women are in great part, viewed as equals when compared to their male associates. Sociological perspectives have changed a great deal and opened many doors for women. As the subject of literature, the change has been no less apparent. The result is simply a reflection of society. The women of our stories today encompass every role and venture that we see women involved in everyday. Women serve in just about every capacity imaginable and so it only makes sense that Woman as the subject of modern literature conduct itself the same way. It would take an entire paper just to explicate all of the roles that women play today and how society has changed as a result. The point is that it has changed and that women play a much different role in literature today than they did even just a century ago during Woolf's time. Woolf saw just a glimpse into the social turn that has led to the present day and the feminist views that have inundated our society. Her era was still filled with male dominated ideas. Ideas that shaped her world and in many ways made her into the woman she was. Her feminist ideals would have never emerged had there not been a need for them. At the beginning of her essay, a Room of One's Own, Woolf states clearly that she was asked to write on the subject (1) *

. it's a rather ambiguous statement as she doesn't clearly state who asked, but the point is that it expressed a need. There was the aching questing of women and their role in literature that Woolf found the resources of speech to answer in a way that was thought provoking and influential.

Economic Perspectives Then and Now

The Traditional Family Paradigm:

Socially and economically her society was one dominated by men. As mentioned before, the role of the woman was childbearing. A woman's sole contribution was that of reproduction. The rest revolved around a dependence on men, mainly the woman's husband. The traditional family paradigm emerged, probably out of necessity or practicality; but whatever good intentions lay at its foundation the concept of a male dominated society created an oppression that many women still struggle with today. The man was the breadwinner, caregiver and owner of the family. "In both social and political patriarchalism the family-state analogy has been read as fundamentally conservative and authoritarian, if not absolutist" (Fang 3) *

.Women basically had no rights, as Sara Gamble points out in her book the Routledge Companion to Feminism and Post Feminism:

Childbearing was a major part of the wife's role, be it to provide male heirs to her husband's lands and titles or to provide a source of labour. However, women had no rights over their children; the bringing up, education and disposal in marriage were entirely the preserve of the father. In the eyes of the law, they belonged to their fathers, and where parents fell out or separated (divorce was not possible for most people), the father could prevent the mother having any contact with her children. (4) *

This predicament basically made slaves of women. Unless they wanted to walk out on their families and risk a life of poverty as in Henrik Ibsen's play a Doll's House, women were essentially stuck and forced to live the life that had been carved out for them.

Woolf encountered the same issues concerning women and their place in society. The whole premise of her book was that a woman must be independent of these societal constraints if she were to ever reach her full potential as an artist and woman. In Woolf's a Room of One's Own she pointed out that the woman must be economically independent in addition to being free of the responsibilities of family and children. Only then would it be possible for her to focus on her art or personal expression. She goes on to explain the difficulty women encountered in the endeavor of writing stating that women have "less intellectual freedom than that of Athenian slaves" (Woolf 75) *

. The concept of women being intellectually and practically capable of writing was something that was not widely accepted during Woolf's time. Most literature played along with the idea that women were subservient and more of an economic consumable rather than a free standing entity or consumer in their own right. Today we see Woolf's idea of a woman having her own space and economic freedom as a much more viable option and even a reality for most women.

Woman, as the subject of literature has changed just as much as our society and its views of women have changed. Women are no longer the subservient housewives of the past and serve in many capacities worldwide. This is true of our stories as well. Women can play just about any role in literature, just as they can in real life and while literature may express the limits a little further than reality with that of superheroes and fantastical elements that do not exist in real life, the role of women has stretched just as far as our minds when it comes to their roles. Many things that were fantasy for women of days past have now become reality as our society has shifted and the social and economic status of women has climbed to an almost equal plane with that of men. As a society we are no longer a slave to tradition and the traditional family paradigm where the man is the head and leader of the household. This concept has had huge implications and created a level playing field for women that can be seen in every aspect of society, including modern literature. Virginia Woolf recognized early on, the necessity of economic independence as a key ingredient to her feminist views. Brigitte Bechtold offers some insight into this topic in More Than a Room and Three Guineas: Understanding Virginia Woolf's Social Thought:

To feminist social thinkers and activists, Virginia Woolf's writings offer early and rich insight into the socioeconomic processes of occupational segregation, wage discrimination, imposition of separate spheres, social exclusion and trickle-down patriarchy. Her implied views on distributive justice permeate her novels and diaries, and show remarkable insight into recent work by feminists on female tasks related to provisioning, and also to a long tradition of work specifically dealing with considerations of social welfare. (1) *

Woman as the Creator of Literature:

So far the focus has been on women as the subject of literature. This implies that the writers of said literature are men. Woman as the subject of literature is a concept that has been around as long as literature itself, but the idea of women as writers is new in comparison. The role of women as the writers of literature has progressed equally in comparison to their role as the subject of literature. Social, economic and even religious freedom, in addition to feminist movements have shaped female literature in ways that perhaps even Woolf didn't expect. The main ideas associated with women as authors and writers of literature expand from the historical concepts of long ago up to present day. In addition are social perspectives, the battle of the sexes that has emerged from many feminist movements and the stigma associated with feminist writing. Another is the Economic independence that has shaped or has been shaped (depending on how you look at it) the role of women as writers. Woolf's concept of having a room of ones own and the implication of economic freedom on the part of the woman has, in more recent years, become a reality. All of these concepts have seen enormous change over time and are worth looking into. In order to gain insight into these topics we will begin with the historical perspectives and work our way into the present day concepts that rule our thinking of women as writers.

Historical Perspectives Then and Now

The Woman's Role in Literature:

Historically, men have been writers. This is not true of every culture and circumstance but generally, until more recent times, men dominated literature. Though women may have played roles as characters within the stories they certainly were not authors. In fact, American women didn't see their first published work until the late seventeenth century (Famous Firsts by American Women) *

. This can be blamed on many things. Women, as the caregivers and homemakers for their husbands didn't have time to devote to writing. In addition, at least a basic education would have been required for such ventures and that was something many women did not have available to them. Education was reserved for men. Child rearing was for women. Even during Woolf's era, only a century ago, women struggled to carve out a niche for themselves in the literary world. it's well-known that for much of history societies "have wrongly excluded significant and meritorious works by women" (Staves 4) *

. Religious doctrine throughout much of history did not help the cause of women and the idea that they had a voice. Biblical text was often construed in favor of women keeping their opinions to themselves though there were movements against this concept. One example is that of Quaker women during the late seventeenth century. In fact, "Almost 40% of all the first editions of books and pamphlets published by women between 1660 and 1690 were religious writings by Quaker women" (Staves 29) *

. Women were standing up for their right to write -- something that many today take for granted.

Virginia Woolf alludes to the historical oppression of women in a Room of One's Own when she theorizes about the fictional sister of Shakespear. Though Judith is just as talented as her famous brother, her talent and potential for success goes unrecognized simply because she is a woman. Because she is a woman she is not educated and instilled with the ideas of classic literature as her brother is, and so her potential is stifled. Still, she manages an interest in the art of writing and theater, but unlike her brother she must keep her passions a secret. Despite her desire not to marry she is beaten into submission by her father who promises materialist things if she will just bend to the acceptable standard. She ventures to a theater where her dream of acting is literally laughed at by the proprietor and in the end poor Judith commits suicide (Woolf 34) *

. This shows the injustice that was stark reality for women for such a long time. Opportunites were a distant and almost unimaginable fantasy. Luckily, our current societies are not so unaccepting.

The literary world is a much different place today than it was even a hundred years ago during Woolf's time. Book stores and libraries are over flowing with works by female authors. Even our education system, something women were excluded from for so long, owes women a debt of gratitude for their contributions. Due to feminist movements and literary pioneers such as the Quaker women of the seventeenth century and Virginia Wolf, just to name a couple, women's writing has taken its place in our world. Some have even gone so far as to say that "all writing by women can validly be studied by one scholarly discipline or another" (Staves 5) *

. Either way, the contributions of women in literature is apparent and our world wouldn't be what it is today without literary giants like Virginia Woolf. Modern society tends to forget the lack of equality that existed not so long ago and how far we have come. Woolf's idea of women having their own space and freedom in which to create and express themselves has become a reality for many. In her book, a Room of One's Own, she expressed the idea that women needed a level of independence in order to express themselves fully. This concept, just as many throughout history, was not a popular one at the time it was presented, but over time we have seen this feminist ideal take hold and change our world.

Sociological Perspectives Then and Now

Men vs. Women:

As a society we now tend to embrace women and women's rights. However, because of the battle that has taken place through the years we sometimes see this as a sort of battle of the sexes. There has been much argument through feminist movements and as a rebuttal to masculine dominated societies that women are in fact superior to men. Because of this reason or that many women have taken the stand that females are the stronger sex; this has contributed to a stigma around feminism and women's literature. This is a rather new issue as there was no real conflict between men and women until more recent times. Throughout most of the world we subscribed and still do, to the patriarchal paradigm and the concept of men as the stronger, smarter, logical and wise saviors of the week, emotional, flighty and irrational female.

Men were and still are to some degree considered superior, so for much of history there was no real conflict between men and women, simply submition. Despite the long reaching idea of the male sex being superior, women are now able to, at the very least, proclaim their equality. Women are no longer forced into a life of subservience and labor under the shadow of their male caregivers and monarchs. Women are allowed to work, vote, run for office, fight in our nation's military and function in just about every capacity imaginable -- women serve as judges, work in our nation's law enforcement agencies and are members of political office. All of these examples are a far stretch from the culture and view of women held in this country just 100 years ago. Society today allows women the freedom to do anything that they want. Woolf would be proud considering that "In both her critical writings and works of fiction such as to the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf argued that women had been silenced by a repressive culture" (Christensen 3) *

. Women are no longer held under the constraints of childrearing and housekeeping, though those are things that women still do. Because women are allowed to work and do not have to be a passive and subservient member of a family system they are free to whatever kinds of expressions they choose -- artistic or otherwise. Feminist movements throughout our history have led us to the present day -- a time where women are entities independent of previous control that are allowed to exist free of any kind of male dominance.

Current Stigma Attached to Feminist Writing:

Despite the progress that has been made, there has emerged a stigma surrounding feminism and feminist views. To many, even some women, feminist movements seem trite and almost offensive. A view of an unkempt, unshaven, free thinking nutcase in a Grateful Dead or tie dyed t-shirt is the picture that enters the minds of many when you speak of feminism and feminist ideals. As with many stereotypes, there exists a grain of truth in just about every single one, but this is not in itself the idea of feminism. In the Cambridge Introduction to Virginia Woolf, Jane Goldman argues the importance of studying Virginia Woolf and gives us insight into the real definition of feminism:

…the works of Virginia Woolf remain essential reading. More than fifty years since her death, accounts of her life still set the pace for modern modes of living… a world where everything in modern life (cinema, sexuality, shopping, education, feminism, politics, war and so on) is explored and questioned and refashioned… Woolf's writing is infused with her formidably productive mental energy, with her appetite for modern life, modern people and modern art. Woolf's writing both records and shapes modern experience, modern consciousness; but it also opens up to scrutiny the process of writing itself, a process she herself frequently records, and also finds exhilarating. (Goldman 9) *

It is important to remember what feminism meant to those who pioneered the idea when it wasn't popular. Its foundation lay not in some crazy, impractical mental state but with the idea of equality and the idea that women could be allowed the same rights, freedoms and opportunities afforded to those of the opposite sex. This is true not only of the act of writing but also in writing as a profession or lucrative endeavor.

Economic Perspectives Then and Now

Economic Independence:

In addition to the social implications associated with feminism and woman authors, there is the transformation of culture from an economic perspective. I mentioned the various roles that women now play within society. This is seen more in the working world than anywhere else. When women entered the work place on a massive scale, the world changed forever. Never before had women had a say in anything, let alone the work place. Now we see the presence of women in just about every aspect of working life. Equal opportunity pamphlets and sexual harassment education sometimes inundate our working lives. Work used to be a man's domain. In addition to being the head of the household, men were the breadwinners. Their job was to support the family financially while the woman was hard at work maintaining the home and raising children. As with other factors we have considered such as the historical and social transformations which have lead women into literature, the economic independence of women today is another factor that requires note.

The incorporation of women into the work place brought about a greater sense of independence than any other factor that we have looked at so far. In order for a woman to be independent she had to be able to support herself. This is something that became a possibility through employment. Today women serve in many capacities and are at times the sole providers for their families. Where in the past the financial stability of the family unit rested upon the man, today, women often share equal responsibility in providing financial sustenance for their families. Woolf recognized the importance of economic stability and independence and the part it would have to play in order for women to be free of social constraints:

But though Virginia Woolf's 'right to earn a living' was, and remains, central to feminism, getting on for a century after she wrote it is clear that its attainment by no means solved all women's problems. Women's work -- despite the much-publicized earnings of some high-fliers in the business world -- remains lower paid; or, in the case of housework, not paid at all. When Woolf was writing in the 1920s, feminists had hardly begun to articulate, let alone address, women's special problems: issues to do with childbirth and child-rearing, or the strain on women who had to combine housework and/or childcare with work outside the home. (Walters 12) *