I read this another novel by Woolf and it was lovely yet again. This is about “Women and Fiction” and what exactly, well, you will find out. What has been done, why it has been done, how it should be done ….it is all there about the women, fiction and women in fiction. She describes and establishes the need for sound income and creative independence of women if she was to write fiction. She argues that how women tend to be influenced by men (since always and domination being the kind of influence) and try to write like a man. She says that women should write like a woman. She also says that every human being has both the male and female parts. In a man, the male part dominates and in a woman, the female part dominates. According to the Woolf, the best writers are those who are able to make these forces exist in harmony and write a man-womanly piece/woman-manly piece.
Off course, some people would view it as a feminist writing. But what I see it as is a writing from female writer about female writers and an excellent one at that. There are nuggets of wisdom and intelligent statements flowing all the way. I could not help but appreciate Woolf’s way of thinking and writing style. It’s smooth and complex at the same time. No doubt she is one of the best writers of all time.
I am growing to like her works very much.
4 responses so far ↓
marcys // March 19, 2008 at 12:39 am |
Oh, this is one of my favorite books of all time. I’ve read it several times and I still cry at the end; maybe one has to be a writer to feel that way about it.
Your last paragraph bewilders me, that some might see it as a feminist book, BUT…and then you say it is from a female writer about female writers. Hello? What exactly do you think “feminist” means–something shrill and angry, no doubt. But a female writer writing about female writers, unless it’s trashing them, is an act of feminism. In fact, Woolf was not only a feminist, she was way ahead of her time and ahead of our time as well. I don’t know why young women today think “feminist” is a dirty word.
itsfine // March 19, 2008 at 1:00 am |
Let me clear your doubt here once and for all, that I do not think that feminist is a dirty word. In fact, the concept is far from that as you might already know. What I meant by saying that it is not a feminist book is that the book does not champion women writing or stuff like that, it simply analyzes the causes for being what it is today or what it is not and what could be done. Neither do I mean that “feminist” has to be shrill and angry. Again what I mean is that everything related to women is not necessarily feminist . Woolf is a feminist for sure but that does not mean her writing every time has to be so too and this is not meant in a negative way. Off course, it seems that my understanding and yours on feminism differ a bit and in my definition of it, I am a staunch feminist so all this stuff of “feminism” being dirty and all does not stand.
marcys // March 19, 2008 at 6:13 am |
I’m really glad to hear you don’t think feminism is a dirty word.
I do think, however, that A Room of One’s Own is profoundly feminist. I could post quotes and say why they are, but frankly it’s too much work. We’ll just have to agree to disagree on that.
Christopher // September 21, 2008 at 9:18 pm |
I put in the term “women in fiction” and came across quite a number of blog sites (includinf this one).
One of which grabbed my attention, by Karen Healey, described the criteria for what is bad about fictional female roles in literature.
After several hours online, I can’t help but feel there’s too many barriers, self imposed or imposed by the publishing world, that prevents women being portrayed beyond the stereotypes.
When I finsihed my novel, Convergence, back in Jan 08, I really thought there’d be an audience out there but going from site to site it’s clear that there is but publishers/ hollywood dont want to reach out to them.
My book is about 4 women trying to make it in science but adhering too much to the truth and paying a dreadful price for it. They are ordinary in looks but extraordinary in deeds, they are very independent but in the end need a way in that depends too much on selling their soul.
Anyways…. despite the shameless plug please check otu the website http://convergence-cpt.com. Contact em at the email address supplied if you’ve any comments.
Thanks.