Then how would you define feminist? There seems to be as many feminists as there are definitions of it. Was Sylvia Plath really a feminist poet? Is calling any writer who is a women a feminist not in a way demeaning the meaning of Feminism as a political force?Quote:
Originally Posted by Lykren
Well, I don't think feminism is just something that regards women as a 'political unit,' rather, it includes social aspects, economic aspects, artistic and spiritual aspects and so on in its examination of the challenges women face.
But back to A Room of One's Own, I think Woolf meant to use one example of a fictional writer as a hypothetical demonstration of how women were (and are) treated unfairly. Besides that, if you don't mind me quoting Wikipedia:
"The essay is generally seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy."
Then, yeah, you are right. I take back my statement - I guess I was thinking of Feminism in a very 2D and silly way. Still, it is a fine book in it's own right, and for feelings and impressions of it I really enjoyed it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lykren
"per se" you mean.Quote:
but I wouldn't call it 'feminist' per-say.
I think we're doing VW a misservice by labeling her "feminist." Her significance is far broader than that.She has been often described as a "writer's writer," for good reason. For instance, it is absolutely true that she was incapable of writing a bad sentence. Her virtuousity with language, form, and nuances of meaning are exemplary. For that reason, Virginia Woolf ranks right up there with Henry James.
My favorite Virginia Woolf novel (so far) is Orlando, richly textured fantasy loaded with wit and wisdom. Because Virginia dedicated the book to her friend, Vita Sackville-West, Nigel Nicholson called the book a "the longest and most charming love letter in literature." By doing so, that critic opened the floodgates of prurient speculation, resulting in the labeling of the book as "illuminaing the gay and lesbian experience," which appears in the blurb for the paperback edition I own. Talk about pigeon holes or ghettoizing an author!
Even though the title character, like the mythological Tiresias, transforms from one sex to another, the novel is much more than an account of a transgender person. Living and thriving for three centuries, Orlando pops up in widely-diverse time settings, like a prototype of Zelig. Aside from a tour de force, Orlando is a picturesque and psychologically acute examination of the role of the individual's place through history. The humanity shines through the writing like sunlight glimmering off the frozen Thames.
Yes. I'm sorry. :cryin:Quote:
Originally Posted by AuntShecky
Don't be sorry! Yours fooly has made goofs that are far, far worse!
I don't think we're doing Woolf a disservice by calling her a feminist. For one, as I stated above, a 'feminist' necessarily takes into account many aspects of life; and furthermore, calling her a feminist does not preclude her being other things! It is true though that a writer who closely examines the human experience (as Woolf certainly did), and who therefore steps into waters that can be deemed 'political' can easily be hijacked by overzealous proselytizers for the purpose of giving a sort of artistic credence to one argument or another.Quote:
Originally Posted by AuntShecky
It is my belief however that great writing deals rather with uncertainty than certainty. In that regard, I think, calling Virginia Woolf a feminist does more credit to the term 'feminism' than it does harm to Woolf.
I read this about ten years ago and I was very enthusiastic about it!It fundamentally can be construed or understood as a feminist book, but it also speaks to all writers in general. A woman should have a place of her own, other than the kitchen.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mary Westmacott
I'm a little confused at the potentially pejorative undertones being applied to 'feminist' here. Feminism is as necessary now as it ever has been.
A Room of One's Own can certainly be read as a feminist text. Whether Woolf intended it that way, or whether she wrote something which ended up being feminist by expression rather than intent, I'm not sure, but the fact is, it gives a good understanding of the way women's lives are affected by the patriarchal society in which we live, and the quelling of the literature of women as a result.
Some of her 'scientific' postulation is a little questionable, and she's a little binarist (though for her time, how could I ask for anything else? She even goes so far as to declare the possibility of there being more than two genders in some far-off land - perhaps we could regard the gradual acceptance of other genders in the present as being the temporal variant of a far-off land), but it's a wonderfully clear, expressive piece, which really hits home the ideas she's trying to put across. It's still very relevant today.
So it isn't just me who thinks To The Lighthouse is an imperfect work. Thankyou. I tried hard to like it but it leaves much to be desired. Being the earliest example of stream of consciousness that work has a lot of merit, sure, but it requires a lot of justification to rank it high up among the Great List. Perhaps other Woolf novels are much better as noted by some in the thread. To The Lighthouse, however, does not deter me; I look forward to reading her other works.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lykren
Try Mrs. Dalloway.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marbles
That's next.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lykren