A Room of One's Own

A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on 24 October 1929,[1 the essay !as based on a series of lectures she deli"ered at #e!nha$ %ollege and &irton %ollege, t!o !o$en's colleges at %a$bridge (ni"ersity in October 192). While this extended essay in fact e$ploys a fictional narrator and narrati"e to explore !o$en both as !riters of and characters in fiction, the $anuscript for the deli"ery of the series of lectures, titled *Wo$en and Fiction*, and hence the essay, are considered non+fiction.[2 ,he essay is generally seen as a fe$inist text, and is noted in its argu$ent for both a literal and figural space for !o$en !riters !ithin a literary tradition do$inated by patriarchy. ,he$es Women's access to education ,he title of the essay co$es fro$ Woolf's conception that, 'a !o$an $ust ha"e $oney and a roo$ of her o!n if she is to !rite fiction'.[- Woolf notes that !o$en ha"e been .ept fro$ !riting because of their relati"e po"erty, and financial freedo$ !ill bring !o$en the freedo$ to !rite/ *0n the first place, to ha"e a roo$ of her o!n..!as out of the 1uestion, unless her parents !ere exceptionally rich or "ery noble*.[4 ,he title also refers to any author's need for poetic license and the personal liberty to create art. ,he essay exa$ines !hether !o$en !ere capable of producing, and in fact free to produce !or. of the 1uality of Willia$ 2ha.espeare, addressing the li$itations that past and present !o$en !riters face. Woolf's father, 2ir 3eslie 2tephen, in line !ith the thin.ing of the era, belie"ed that only the boys of the fa$ily should be sent to school. 4ecause her father did not belie"e in in"esting in the education of his daughters, Woolf !as left !ithout the experience of for$al schooling. 0n deli"ering the lectures outline in the essay, Woolf is spea.ing to !o$en !ho ha"e the opportunity to learn in a for$al, co$$unal setting. Woolf lets her

audience .no! the i$portance of their education at the sa$e ti$e !arning the$ of the precariousness of their position in society. Judith Shakespeare 0n one section, Woolf in"ented a fictional character, 5udith, *2ha.espeare's sister,* to illustrate that a !o$an !ith 2ha.espeare's gifts !ould ha"e been denied the sa$e opportunities to de"elop the$ because of the doors that !ere closed to !o$en. 3i.e Woolf, !ho stayed at ho$e !hile her brothers !ent off to school, 5udith stays at ho$e !hile Willia$ goes off to school. 5udith is trapped in the ho$e6 *2he !as as ad"enturous, as i$aginati"e, as agog to see the !orld as he !as. 4ut she !as not sent to school.*[7 Woolf's prose holds all the hopes of 5udith 2ha.espeare against her brother's hopes in the first sentence, then abruptly curtails 5udith's chances of fulfilling her pro$ise !ith *but.* While Willia$ learns, 5udith is chastised by her parents should she happen to pic. up a boo., as she is ine"itably abandoning so$e household chore to !hich she could be attending. 5udith is betrothed, and !hen she does not !ant to $arry, she is beaten and then sha$ed into $arriage by her father. While 2ha.espeare establishes hi$self, 5udith is trapped by the confines of the expectations of !o$en. 5udith .ills herself, and her genius goes unexpressed, !hile 2ha.espeare li"es on and establishes his legacy. Building a history of women's writing 0n the essay, Woolf constructs a critical and historical account of !o$en !riters thus far. Woolf exa$ines the careers of se"eral fe$ale authors, including 8phra 4ehn, 5ane 8usten, the 4ront9sisters, 8nne Finch, %ountess of Winchilsea, and &eorge :liot. 0n addition to fe$ale authors, Woolf also discusses and dra!s inspiration fro$ noted scholar and fe$inist 5ane :llen ;arrison.[< ;arrison is presented in the essay only by her initials separated by long dashes, and Woolf first introduces ;arrison as *the fa$ous scholar= 5 ++++ ;++++ herself*.[> Woolf also discusses ?ebecca West, 1uestioning @es$ond Aac%arthy's Breferred to as *C*D unco$pro$ising dis$issal of West as an *'arrant fe$inist'*.[< [) 8$ong the $en indicted for their troubling "ie!s on !o$en, F. :. 2$ith, 1st :arl of 4ir.enhead Breferred to as *3ord 4ir.enhead*D is $entioned, though the narrator further rebu.es his ideas in stating she !ill not *trouble to copy out 3ord 4ir.enhead's opinion upon the !riting of !o$en*.[9 4ir.enhead !as an opponent of suffrage.[1E ,he essay 1uotes Oscar 4ro!ning through the !ords of his Bpossibly inaccurateD biographer ;. :. Wortha$6 [11 *'= the i$pression left on his $ind, after loo.ing o"er any set of exa$ination papers, !as that=the best !o$an !as intellectually the inferior of the !orst $an.'*[12 0n addition to these $entions, Woolf subtly refers to se"eral of the $ost pro$inent intellectuals of the ti$e, and her hybrid na$e fro$ the (ni"ersity of Oxford and the (ni"ersity of %a$bridgeFOxbridgeFhas beco$e a !ell+.no!n ter$, although she !as not the first to use it.