Professions For Women By Virginia Woolf Summary
analytical Essay
1445 words
In the Broadview Anthropology of Expository Prose, Buzzard et al. describe Virginia Woolf’s essay “Professions for Women” as a “lecture to a society of professional women” (100). As a queer writer, Woolf’s voice during the 1930’s received much attention, along with praise and criticism. Woolf’s fight for women’s empowerment and gender equality are evident throughout her essay, and as of now, in the 21st century, it is unequivocal that Woolf saw herself as a feminist. However, as Woolf writes her “Professions for women” she makes use of the blanket terms “the woman” and “herself” to refer to a general professional woman. It leads us to question who the woman really is: which kinds of individuals are included in and excluded from Woolf’s filtered view of women. How does …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how woolf's essay "professions for women" is a lecture to professional women. she uses the blanket terms "the woman" and "herself" to refer to the general professional woman.
- Analyzes how woolf's essay introduces "the woman" as her subject, but does she go far enough to critique the effects of patriarchy on feminine gender?
- Analyzes how woolf's self-evaluation of her profession tells us about her views on women who are not like her.
- Analyzes woolf's essay on "killing the angel in the house" as a heteronormative, sexist, feminine ideal built by patriarchy.
- Argues that woolf's feminism focuses on women by themselves, rather than pitting them against men.
What does Woolf fail to address in her feminist stance, and how do her oversights affect not only her credibility, but how certain women view themselves? As Woolf narrates her essay in first-person, she introduces “the woman” as her subject. Woolf claims that “the woman” is who remains after killing the Angel in the House (102). Now, we may wonder what kind of woman “the woman” is. Woolf answers this question herself by saying, “I assure you, I do not know. I do not believe that you know” (102). Of course, it is clear what Woolf’s uncertainty implies: since women are shaped by the patriarchal society to be nothing but the Angel in the House, once that Angel is killed, we do not know anything of the capabilities, personality, weaknesses, and strengths of the true woman. Although Woolf’s implication is a fair critique of the effects of patriarchy on feminine gender, does Woolf go far enough in such critique as
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- Feminism In Virginia Woolfanalytical essayIn the twentieth century women did not have many rights. Women were expected to stay at home and do housework, cook food, have babies, and take care of them. Women was not supposed to be writers, Virginia Woolf and many other women overcame that standard. Virginia Woolf became a writer during this time and wrote about something she deeply cared about, feminism. Woolf’s work highlights women’s work, who does not have the rights or enough money to use it.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how virginia woolf became a writer during the twentieth century and wrote about something she deeply cared about, feminism. she highlights women's work, who don't have the rights or enough money to use it.
- Analyzes how woolf expects that women will have a better future ahead of them. she uses metaphors of inferiority in her short stories like a room of one's own.
- Analyzes how woolf's "blooms bio critiques" defines women as object, less than and at the disposal of man, and argues that women are equally the same as men.
- Analyzes how woolf tries to prove her point through all of her writing, but most of the time it was just looked over because nobody wanted to talk about feminism in the twentieth century.
- Opines that virginia woolf would be happy to see how far women have come. she started writing about feminism, a topic that meant so much to her.
938 wordsRead More - College Mealsanalytical essayThroughout Virginia Woolf’s writings, she describes two different dinners: one at a men’s college, and another at a women’s college. Using multiple devices, Woolf expresses her opinion of the inequality between men and women within these two passages. She also uses a narrative style to express her opinions even more throughout the passages.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how woolf uses multiple devices to express her opinion of the inequality between men and women in her writings.
- Analyzes how virginia woolf uses imagery to make her ideas and situations more personal and express the difference throughout her experiences at both colleges.
- Analyzes how woolf uses diction and tone to change the mood of the piece in order to properly describe the atmosphere.
- Analyzes how used similes and repetition to express her opinion. similes highlight the importance of the food, while repetition emphasizes the normal and un-privileged women's lives.
- Analyzes how virginia woolf's narrative style is used to make the piece believable and keep the reader interested. a list of facts concerning the mistreatment of women would be helpful, but it would not hold attention for long.
- Analyzes how virginia woolf used many devices and specific styles while writing these pieces of work. she manipulated the way she wrote to highlight her opinion and thus made an impactful passage.
545 wordsRead More - Virgina Woolf and Feminismanalytical essayVirginia Woolf is often categorized as being an aesthetic writer. Most of her works played largely on the concept of suggestion. They addressed many social issues especially those regarding feminine problems. Woolf was acutely aware of her identity as a woman and she used many of writings as outlets for her frustrations. According to her doctrine, the subjugation of women is a central fact of history, a key to most of our social and psychological disorders (Marder 3). The two works I will focus on is A Room of One's Own and "A Society" from Monday or Tuesday. They are both works that challenge the roles of men and women.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that virginia woolf is often categorized as being an aesthetic writer. her writings addressed many social issues especially those regarding feminine problems.
- Analyzes how in a room of one's own the narrator begins an exploration of women in literature. she attempts to answer many questions regarding women.
- Analyzes how the narrator uses words like weak, inferior, vane, etc. to emphasize the way men perceive women as being the weaker sex.
- Analyzes how the narrator is bewildered at her findings about great men such as mussolini, pope, napoleon and goethe and how they viewed women as inferior.
- Analyzes how the narrator creates a scene with the professor writing at his desk and uses several scenarios to explain why he is angry and emotional.
- Analyzes how the narrator notices the different headlines about men and women. woolf writes that england is under the rule of a patriarchy.
- Analyzes how the narrator uses the professor to represent man. she points out the many important roles he plays such as foreign secretary, race-horse owner, and ceo.
- Analyzes the narrator's philosophy of why men have superiority complexes. she insists that women are merely a mirror image of men.
- Analyzes how the narrator is optimistic about the status of women despite her findings.
- Analyzes how the narrator continues her investigation of women in literature. she ponders what life for women was like during the elizabethan age, and questions why no women wrote great literature during that time.
- Analyzes how the narrator agrees with his analysis. she points out that great women like cleopatra, lady macbeth, and phaedra were all powerful women, but in real life they were not part of history.
- Analyzes how the narrator continues to ponder the life of an elizabethan woman. she is disturbed that she cannot find any literature about a woman during that era.
- Analyzes how the narrator recalls a bishop's comment that no woman could equal the genius of shakespeare.
- Analyzes how the narrator agrees with the bishop that no women of the time would have had such genius.
- Analyzes how the narrator concludes that it is the will of men to maintain their status that impedes women.
- Opines that the narrator is justified in her reasoning. men wield power from the weak and that common weakling is woman. without oppression from men there could have been many great female writers.
- Analyzes how woolf's satirical "a society" uses a series of characters to point out the follies of men.
- Analyzes how woolf uses symbols and imagery to describe the setting. she emphasizes the women's naivety and converses about men.
- Narrates how they drew round the fire and began as usual to praise men--how strong, noble, brilliant, courageous, and beautiful they were --how we envied those who managed to get attached to one for life.
- Analyzes how the characters are content with their roles as women. they believe that everything written or created by men is creditable. poll bursts into tears.
- Analyzes how poll cites from several books she is carrying, and the other women are appalled at the content of the books. when poll reads them poetry they all agree that it is frivolous subject matter.
- Analyzes how clorinda concludes that it is women's fault. they acknowledge that living as wives and child bearers has blinded them from reality.
- Explains that the narrator and her friends decide to investigate for themselves what the world of men is like. they seek answers to their questions and report back to each other.
- Analyzes how woolf uses the women's reports to criticize the behavior of men. rose reports on her escapade on a navy vessel.
- Analyzes how the captain was angered by the fact that a woman snuck onto his vessel. woolf implies that men will go to any lengths to save face.
- Analyzes how fanny's account of her visit to the law courts was somewhat different. she concludes that the judges were inhuman.
- Analyzes how castalia describes professor hobkin's life as being that of leisure. she discovers his life work, which is an edition of sappho.
- Analyzes how woolf uses the question of sappho's chastity as a prominent feminine figure and the mystery surrounding her sexuality. castalia is not convinced that the professor knows anything about
- Analyzes how castalia appears glowing from within when she returns three months later. she reveals that she has been at oxbridge and is now pregnant.
- Analyzes how woolf raises the question of chastity in order to point out the follies of men.
1749 wordsRead More - Virginia Woolfanalytical essayThe preceding statement is by no means a personal attack on Virginia Woolf, nor is an attempt to discredit the work of the feminist movement. Woolf wrote in the subjective present and was surrounded by the issues of her writing. She conveyed, as best her situation afforded her, an important issue that becomes more illuminated with the partially objective hindsight of history. Woolf?s motives are pure and there can be nothing but praise for the tact of her style. Furtherm...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that men disassociate themselves from their feelings in order to be an adequate provider, but when it comes to inner fulfillment, the male role is an impediment because it leads to repression.
- Opines that freedom is power and the illusion that men were freer of their sex role than women caused women to see men as their oppressors and themselves as victims.
- Analyzes how woolf senses the reality of sex roles, noting that there is an oversized separation between men and women, but she does not fallow this thought through.
- Analyzes how virginia woolf manipulates the reader by burying her points in flowery language and taking the identity of another person so she doesn't have to take responsibility for what she says.
- Opines that woolf's statement is by no means a personal attack on the feminist movement, nor is an attempt to discredit the work of the movement.
- Analyzes how woolf's essay, 'a room of one?s own', shows that she has her heart set on the distant shore of fulfillment.
- Analyzes how woolf's essay, 'a room of one?s own', is resentful of the idea that women are victims of male oppression.
1272 wordsRead More - Virginia Woolf refuses the role society prescribes her. She stands up against glass ceilings, separate spheres, and double standards-cultural institutions that create and uphold a weaker sex. In her writing, specifically "A Room of One's Own," she manifests her contempt and bitterness by advocating "it is necessary [for women] to have five hundred [pounds] a year and a lock on the door if you are to write fiction or poetry" (769). However, to break and step above the institutions she criticizes, Woolf knows she cannot simply complain about her brothers' years at Oxford while she stayed home with tutors-that would lead an audience to believe "she has an axe to grind" (quoted in Bartholomae and Petrosky, 750). Rather, she must strive for the calm collectedness of her male academic counterparts. This presents a problem for Woolf: how does she convey the oppression of women-the passion behind her work-through an objective and level voice? She needed a vehicle that could be neutral yet emotional, provocative but wise. Ultimately, Woolf needed a mask: one that mimicked the reserved quality of men, yet allowed her to bare the thoughts of a woman subjected to society's mechanisms.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how virginia woolf refuses the role society dictates her. she stands up against glass ceilings, separate spheres and double standards, which create and uphold a weaker sex.
- Analyzes how woolf found her solution in mary beton, mary seton and mary carmichael, or byanynarneyouplease. mary is a superb ballerina prima donna of the highest caliber.
- Analyzes how woolf leads mary through these incidents to demonstrate that women with ideas are not accepted; they are forced off paths and out of buildings.
- Analyzes how the mary-mask covers woolf's individuality with a common name and stereotypical female qualities including naivety and disguised anger.
- Analyzes how woolf embodies her ideas by throwing down her mask and revealing her inner thoughts, setting the example for all women.
- Introduces david bartholomae and anthony petrosky in ways of reading: an anthology for writers, boston: bedford/st. martin's.
1918 wordsRead More - Virginia Woolf, in her treatise A Room of One's Own, identified a gendered division of labor. For her, men work in the market place and make the money while the women, the upper class women at least, attend to the social pleasantries and household management. While she lamented this state of affairs, she did not present, as Gilman did, a model for existence that would allow men and women to operate on the same level. However, a direct comparison to Gilman is somewhat unfair as she was not focused on the status of women in the economy so much as the status of women as writers. Like Gilman, Woolf saw this division between a man's work and a woman's work as a socially constructed conceit. Unlike Gilman, Woolf advocated a further break between the world of men and women.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how virginia woolf, in her treatise a room of one's own, identified a gendered division of labor — men work in the market place while women attend to social pleasantries and household management.
- Analyzes how woolf saw the status of women as a socially constructed situation. she blamed the patriarchy for this, but blame also falls on the women.
- Analyzes woolf's argument that writing, history, or poetry are the tasks she sees fit to pursue and her discussion will always be slanted in that direction.
- Analyzes how woolf identified professor x as a second perpetrator in the repression of women's intellect.
- Argues that woolf's solution is problematic, since she demands five hundred a year for each of us and rooms of our own.
- Analyzes how woolf called for a new era where "women have the habit of freedom and the courage to write exactly what [they] think."
883 wordsRead More - Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Ownanalytical essayIn chapter two of A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf introduces the reader to the uncomfortable conditions existing between men and women during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Woolf’s character, Mary Beton, surveys books about women at the British Museum and discovers that nearly all of them are written by men. What’s more, the books that she does find express negative sentiments about women, leading Beton to believe that men are expressing “anger that had gone underground and mixed itself with all kinds of other emotions” (32). She links this repressed anger to man’s need to feel superior over women, and, wondering how and why men have cause to be angry with the female sex, she has every right to be angry with men.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how virginia woolf introduces the reader to the uncomfortable conditions between men and women during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. mary beton surveys books about women at the british museum and discovers that nearly all of them are written by men.
- Analyzes how beton discovers men's anger toward women by glancing through professor von x’s book titled the mental, moral, and physical inferiority of the female sex.
- Analyzes how woolf explains that men are the rulers of society, establishing societal norms and determining the hierarchy of humankind, and how their female counterpart fit into that hierarchy.
- Analyzes woolf's argument that men make women inferior so that they may feel confident about themselves.
- Analyzes how beton's anger is understandable given the social structure of pre-nineteenth century europe.
655 wordsRead More - Women in Societyanalytical essayFears are an overwhelming aspect of our life from birth until old age. Whether we fear an object such as something lying underneath the bed, a certain figure such as Michael Myers, or an intangible idea such as the future or even death, fear always exists. In several cases, fear leads to a suppression of one’s self and the wonderful ideas that one’s minds may contain. For example, the cure to cancer could very well be trapped inside the mind of someone who has been constantly oppressed and taught to believe that they are not smart enough to get far in life. In “Professions for Women,” author Virginia Woolf persuades her audience, intellectual women, to overcome her insecurities in order to improve her life. To soundly achieve this purpose, Woolf utilizes rhetorical questions, an extended metaphor, and allusion.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that fear is an overwhelming aspect of our life from birth until old age. fear leads to a suppression of one's self and the wonderful ideas that one’s minds may contain. virginia woolf persuades her audience, intellectual women, to overcome her insecurities.
- Analyzes woolf's rhetorical questions about furnishing, decorating, and sharing a house.
- Analyzes how woolf uses rhetorical questions to develop her call to action, which is that women should overcome their fears and express themselves.
- Analyzes how woolf uses the extended metaphor of "the angel in the house" to appeal to her audience's internal struggles.
- Analyzes how woolf uses allusion to provide her audience with a sense of purpose to help them in speaking their mind and becoming important.
- Concludes that although virginia woolf's essay is over eighty years old, some aspects of it are still applicable to society.
1135 wordsRead More - Feminism Vs Virginia Woolfanalytical essayWhat I have discussed are two women authors that have faced trials in their lifetimes pertaining to feminism that society had forced upon them. We are given insight into the ways and values of their time and how these experiences influenced their writings. In conclusion, we can see how societal issues concerning the roles of women have differed in principles, but remain the same in the way that there is an unbroken tradition regarding how men and women differ in their roles as well as their perceived rights. Female writers and advocates of women’s rights show these influences with Mary Wollstonecraft using her strong personality and direct writings and Virginia Woolf using her narratives, and both giving us insight to the struggles of an ongoing debate.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the roles of women in society have changed over time. literature gave women a way to express their feelings and concerns on this topic. wollstonecraft and woolf used their beliefs, backgrounds, and the written word.
- Explains that mary wollstonecraft was an author during the romantic period. her background greatly influenced the ideas that she persistently addressed in her writings.
- Analyzes how wollstonecraft's a vindication of the rights of women evaluates her ideas that education and social ideals make us who we are, and the reasons why only inferior education was the only education made available to women.
- Opines that the neglected education of fellow-creatures is the grand source of misery and that women are rendered weak and wretched by a variety of concurring causes, originating from one hasty conclusion.
- Analyzes how wollstonecraft uses symbolism to show that men see women as delicate flowers that are merely there to be looked at for their beauty, but they really have no usefulness.
- Analyzes how mary encourages women to rise above what society has set out for them and take charge of their education and priorities in a vindication of the rights of woman.
- Analyzes how woolf's writings were a product of the early twentieth century, when the industrial revolution imposed traditional gender roles. women saw the right to vote as the symbol of all the rights of influence that they were denied.
- Analyzes how mrs. dalloway gives us a look into the lives of clarissa and lady bruton.
- Analyzes how peter never saw the state of the world that interested him; wagner, pope's poetry, characters eternally, and the defects of her own soul.
- Analyzes how woolf portrays mrs. dalloway as the suppressed female character.
- Analyzes how virginia woolf uses lady bruton to represent the women that were standing up for themselves and beginning to take on power.
- Analyzes how lady bruton's strong independence symbolizes the movement in society that there should be a tolerance of women in power.
1535 wordsRead More - In talking about Virginia Woolf in the context of Julia Duckworth Stephen and feminism, I will start from the beginning of Virginia Stephen’s life. The idea of ‘Mother’ is a basic, recognizable concept in probably even the most primitive human cultures. Infants start separation of self and other with the body of Mother, since an infant gains a sense of ‘continuity of being’ from his or her mother’s attention. (Rosenman 12) From this definition of relationship-as-self, an infant finds her existence confirmed by feedback from her mother. In this manner, Julia is the first contact for Virginia with the rest of the world, and with all of womankind. Since Virginia will go on to have most of her important relationships with women, this is an important connection.
In this essay, the author
- Explains rosenmann, ellen bayuk, the invisible presence: virginia woolf and the mother-daughter relationship.
- Explains that feminism is rooted in patriarchy and the history of females and their treatment of each other.
- Argues that julia stephen's feminism is a rebellion against "how the patriarchy represses women." julia showed her daughters that female behavior was meant to be helpful, caring, and moderately subservient
- Analyzes how virginia gives a snapshot of the circle around jacob's mother, betty flanders, and clarissa dalloway.
- Analyzes how virginia's "sapphist" tendencies took the pattern of virginia cuddling up to a woman’s lap, using the language of animals and petting that she learned in her childhood.
- Analyzes how virginia woolf's feminism is an evolution of her mother’s sentiments on equality. her father leslie stephen influenced her writing, but his domineering presence crippled her.
- Cites ingram, heather, and johnsen, william, in women's fiction between the wars. "virginia woolf: retrieving the mother."
2260 wordsRead More