Book Review: A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
A book every girl needs to read growing up, whenever she feels her self enveloped by society’s expectations and devoured by her inner doubts and fears; a book that every boy needs to read growing up, to make this world a more equal (and happy) place.
A quick glance at the synopsis and context shall affirm the fact that it is a serious book. It is, after all, based on a lecture given by Virginia Woolf to the students of Cambridge University, exploring the theme of ‘Women and Fiction’. The societal notions and circumstances back then were not quite favorable towards women freely expressing themselves. This suppression is clearly manifested in the little to negligible contribution of women to published literature.
However, right from the first page of the book till its last, I felt genuinely happy. Happy to be reading these beautiful thoughts articulated in an even more beautiful fashion. Happy to imagine myself sitting amongst a group of Newnham students, intently absorbing each word spoken by Miss Woolf. Happy to finally see someone giving words to my deepest emotions. Happy to have read this just as I am transitioning to adulthood and preparing for the life beyond the soft cocoon of familiarity. Woolf’s words are not just inspiring; they’re moving, they stir emotions within you that make you want to step up. They invigorate your spirits and they fill you with a giddy excitement that there is so much more that you’re born to do and express, and that gender shouldn’t be a limiting factor.
The book opens with Virginia trying to interpret the lecture’s theme, “Fiction and Women”- does it refer to women in fiction or fiction by women? She examines how women portrayed by male writers in fiction novels are homogeneous creatures, with set characteristics (a deeply flawed view/notion of women by the male writers), while there is a severe dearth of female writers. The few books published by women are more an outlet for them to express their innermost feelings than just a creative expression; the thoughts conveyed, the symbolism, the language- all indicate a sort of repression that women writers in society faced back then.
She then goes on to examine the nuances of such gender discrimination and what effect it bears on literature. Throughout history, gender discrimination has been a common theme. Woolf argues that men treat women as ‘looking glasses’ (mirror); they ill-treat women to see in those suppressed creatures an ideal image of themselves (of a man): bold, tough, strong, determined and merciless. In Virginia’s words, the problem with the male authors she read was that they were “concerned not with their (women’s) inferiority, but with his (men’s) own superiority”. Men aren’t that bothered about women’s upliftment. Rather, what concern them more is that women shouldn’t rise above them, for that shatters their inner confidence or that cultured ‘sense of self’ that’s ingrained in little boys and guides their behaviour throughout; when little boys are told stories of kings and princes saving their queens and princesses, it automatically creates this ego in them, and in some intrinsic sense, they just feel happy to be born men. When women challenge their authority, their self-image, it makes them doubt their idea of “men”.
“For if she begins to tell the truth, the figure in the looking-glass shrinks; his fitness for life is diminished.”
Writing is a creative pursuit, it means to break one’s soul free from the chains of reality and conjure up worlds beyond the realms of rational possibilities, irrational expectations, dogmatic notions of what should and should not be. In order to write, a writer needs to free one’s self of all temporal constraints, distractions, and presuppositions and birth a new world, a different reality entirely out of the freedom to think. Hence, the title of the book; in order to do justice to their aspirations, all women need a room of their own to rest and relax, to think and to create. They need a room to break free from society’s judgmental glares. Besides a room, they also need money of their own- earned by their toil- to lift their sense of self-worth and confidence. To liberate them and their minds from dependence on others (men) for their material needs. When women know and feel that all is good — materially, emotionally, socially — they create art/ magic, equally as good (if not better) than their counterparts.
“Indeed my aunt’s legacy unveiled the sky to me, and substituted for the large and imposing figure of a gentleman, which Milton recommended for my adoration, a view of the open sky.”
In Virginia’s case, it was a considerable inheritance from her aunt that freed her from depending on a man. “A view of the open sky” connotes the freedom to see the world for what it is; introspect and reflect without any hindrance or influence.
“Anything may happen when womanhood has ceased to be protected occupation.”
Virginia posits how women can achieve anything and everything that a can man, if the society were to let them shed their veils and give them the liberty to venture out of their thresholds, and explore their true selves. The narrative that women need to be protected by the stronger gender that engenders exclusion of women from supposedly tedious and manly tasks like sailing, engineering etc. is deeply flawed.
Virginia describes walking through the campus and her gorgeous descriptions make me, myself, want to experience the intellectual vigour, the inquisitive spirit, the academic vibes and the majestic structures of the Oxbridge institutions. She lays emphasis on how a sub-par lunch ruins her mood and agitates her creative desires. Thereby asserting that in order to engage in creative pursuits, the mind needs to be at ease — all the basic needs of fine living must be satisfied in order for the writer to move beyond the realm of temporal/ earthly/ personal issues and exercise liberty of thought in conjuring up stories and worlds that transcend reality.
“Money dignifies what is frivolous if unpaid for.”
Virginia argues that women should write — not just for leisure but also as a career pursuit, for monetary gains. With money, comes independence, freedom, self-confidence and respect, and …… empowerment. The ability to provide for all of one’s desires, without depending on a man.
The book is rife with examples of women who made it past these societal barriers. Virginia’s lucid writing style, coupled with an ingenuity and urgency, makes this book an exhilarating experience. It made me dream, dream bigger. It makes me want to expand my potential and explore my capabilities. It makes me want to make use of all the resources within and around me, and make this life worthwhile.
Hi! Thank you for reading this! If you enjoyed it, please do like this article and share your thoughts in the comment section below! I’d love to know your thoughts and viewpoints on what it means to be a feminist!
