Virginia Woolf

So...is it necessary to have a balanced, fair voice in one’s writing that doesn’t discriminate against man or women? Should writers take on this “woman-manly or manly-womanly” stance within their essays, novels, and poetry? According to Virginia Woolf and her essay A Room of One’s Own, “some collaboration has to take place in the mind between the woman and the man before the act of creation can be accomplished.” And what do I think of this idea? I believe Woolf has a solid argument and that women have accomplished much since the sixteenth century and deserve this inclusive voice in a male dominated society.

Woolf’s essay is speaking about women author’s during the 16^th century but I believe it can hold true for our society today. Although America has come far since the women’s rights movement, unfair treatment of women still occurs more often then we would think. I’m so accustomed to the freedoms I have as a woman writer that I can’t imagine the suffering these women must have faced. To not be able to express oneself simply because of gender is a foreign idea to me. I can use my voice and no one is going to outwardly shut me down. I won’t be beaten or thrown into jail. Society would reject me. Although it is so hard for me to relate to Woolf’s essay I still found her thoughts intriguing and informative. Hearing about how women writers endured such mockery and ridicule makes me appreciate my freedom more.

This idea of making our brain into one man/woman whole is important. It allows the erasing of gender and the forming of something bigger. It gives power to every voice and allows man and woman to share opposing ideas and arguments openly. I can’t say that I’ve ever sat down at my computer to type a paper and actually thought about removing my specific personality based on gender. I don’t really know if I could do that because I feel like my woman characteristics and voice are too strong to be toned down. So maybe I’m reading into this essay wrong but it kind of made think and question and at the same time agree with Woolf but not completely…Overall though I did enjoy her writing style.