Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own

Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own

Missing works cited

In A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf ponders the plight of women

throughout history. Woolf 'reads the lives of women and concludes that if a woman

were to have written she would have had to overcome enormous circumstances' (Woolf

xi). Woolf's initial thesis is that 'a woman must have money and a room of her own if

she is to write fiction' (Woolf 4). Throughout the book, however, she develops other

important conditions for artistic creation. Woolf mentions many nineteenth century

female writers in order to explain these conditions, but she does not mention Mary

Shelley. Woolf most likely excludes the author of Frankenstein because her writing

contains considerable male influence. The circumstances of Shelley's life, however,

meet Virginia Woolf's basic requirements for the production of good fiction. Mary

Shelley possesses a well-rounded education, encouragement, and an 'androgynous and

incandescent' mind (Woolf 98).

In A Room of One?s Own, Virginia Woolf suggests women produce so little

literature because of the tremendous discouragement and criticism that female writers

face. She discusses the effects of opposition and disapproval upon the artistic mind. The

opinions of others greatly affect artists, and it is those of genius who are most sensitive to

criticism. Woolf proposes that it was literally impossible for a talented woman to write

well during the sixteenth century: ?A highly gifted girl who had tried to use her gift

would have been so thwarted and hindered by other people, so tortured and pulled

asunder by her own contrary instincts, that she must have lost her health and sanity to a

certainty? (Woolf 49). To further illustrate her poin...

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...tial thesis is that ?a woman must have

money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction? (Woolf 4). Throughout the book,

however, she develops other important conditions for artistic creation such as a wellrounded

education, encouragement, and an ?incandescent and androgynous? mind

(Woolf 98). Although Virginia Woolf does not mention Mary Shelley in A Room of

One?s Own, probably because of the strong male influence in Shelley?s writing, the

circumstances of her life meet Woolf?s basic criteria for the production of good fiction.

Mary Shelley?s excellent literary education, stimulating life experiences, encouragement

from family, and lack of anger, bitterness, and fear in her writing grant her the status of

one of the most famous female writers of the nineteenth century.

Works Cited:

Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. New York: Harcourt, 1989.