Rhetorical Analysis Of Virginia Woolf's 'Two Cafeterias'

Men and women have not always been treated equal. Some would dispute that they aren’t equivalent to this day. Virginia Woolf, author of “Two Cafeterias,” saw this dissimilarity manifested in the smallest things; in this case, she noticed the discrepancy between the two meals fed to men and women at Cambridge University. While she paints a vivid picture of a beautiful meal for the gentlemen, the ladies were not so fortunate. Woolf’s dexterity of rhetorical techniques, allowed her to highlight the differences between the two genders by simply illustrating the luncheon at this campus. Such an illustration is wondrous and beautiful when Woolf describes the luncheon provided for the gentlemen. They were fed by a “silent servingman” whose sole purpose was to wait on the men hand and foot. They were not to speak unless spoken to first. Partridges had been supplied “many and various” with a plethora of “sauces and salads.” Crimson and yellow wine was served like water in wineglasses. As soon as the vessel “had been emptied,” it would be restored to capacity immediately. After the main courses, a pudding was served for dessert. However, this wasn’t just any common confection. In fact, to even compare this pudding to “rice and tapioca would be an insult.” Every course

It wasn’t so much a cafeteria as it was a “great dining-hall.” People got in, got to eating, and got out. Food and drink were passed around, but there was no time for “lighting a good cigarette.” The women weren’t allowed the privilege of sinking into “the cushions in the window-seat” that the men were. There was a set schedule for this meal. As soon as everyone had finished up, they “scraped their chairs back” as the large doors swung “to and fro.” It wouldn’t be long before the entire cafeteria had been “emptied of every sign of food and made ready… for breakfast next morning.” There was no luxury at this dining-hall, just a modest