Karabuk University

Faculty of Literature

Department of Western Languages and Literatures

Title: Virginia Woolf and Feminism

submitted by

ŞEYDA BİLGİN

for

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

December 26, 2013

Karabuk
2) Abstract

Virginia Woolf wrote a lot of works, essays about feminism, patriarchal society. She was
a very influential writer for her term’s women. In this paper, I would like to introduce Virginia
Woolf, feminism, feminism in her two works and her feministic aspects. ‘ A Room Ones
Own’ and Mrs Dalloway’ are one of the most important works. Virginia shows us the place of
woman and how we can live with patriarchal system. These two works are about her
feminism and her real life because she used these characters for representing her real life.

Moreover, I and a lot of researchers mentioned her life, husband, mother and father, and
her mental ilness. Virginia couldnot go any school. She wanted to learn everything like her
brother. But Victorian Society was patriarchal and she read all the which books books in her
brother’s library. When she married to Leonard Woolf she thought that she could publish all of
her book. lt was true because Leonard was really responsible. Woolf couldnot lead a beautiful
life because she lived with a mental ilness. After her mother and her father died, she was very
bad because she has feeling an emptiness. While she was fighting with this mental ilness, she
killed herself one day.

Woolf wrote both essays and letters from Victorian age to Edwarian age. She wrote a lot
of feministic works like her other friends. ( George Eliot, Jane Austen and Bronte Sisters )
This term paper will show us how she started her literary life , whether she is really a
feminist, and point of view of her term and finally her tragic end.

3) Introduction: Why is topic important and structure of this paper

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was the most important female English novelist, essayist,
biographer, and feminist in her time (from Victorian age to the Edwardian age). Eliot (1941)
says that “ without Virginia Woolf at the center of art, it would have remained formless or
marginal. With the death of Virginia Woolf, a whole pattern of culture is broken”. Until the
age of fifty-five, Virginia wrote and published several novels, feminist essays and letters
about her private life. Dalsimer (2001) states that “ along with many novels, she wrote
essays, critiques and many volumes of her personal journals have been published. Virginia
Woolf is an influential author because of her unique style, incorporations of symbolism and
use of similes and metaphor in her literature”.

In this paper, Virginia Woolf’s life, the effect of feminism in her life, the female identity,
position of women in patriarchal society, her marriage, and her husband will be studied
according to a lot of researchers. After giving short information about Virginia Woolf and her
important facts, researchers’ first intention is to define the theory of feminism and how
feminism affected Virginia as a young girl. Gunes (2001) says that ‘‘ Woolf’s view of
common life rejects the values of hierarchy and authoritarianism located in social relations of
society ’’. (p.45). And many researchers will show her point of view on feminism. Differences
between men and women will be studied according to many researchers. Woolf never went to
university, and she resented the fact that her brothers and male friends had had an opportunity
that was denied to her.

Later, we will show two of her novels and the influence of these novels on reader. How
she describes feminism on her characters? What is most important problem in her novels,
essays, letters? Gunes (2000–2001) explains us in his article that ‘‘ ‘Mrs Dalloway’ provides
us with many examples as to Woolf’s furious argument with authory and patriarchy.’’ (p.35).
Also, Gunes (2007) observes that in ‘A Room of Ones Own’, Virginia Woolf comes to notice
the lack of women’s tradition of literature while she is searching for the relationship between
women and the writing of fiction or ‘women and fiction’ in the ‘famous liberary’. Therefore,
Virginia represents success of woman in terms of her term’s social background. Virginia
Woolf thinks that‘ every woman has skill but unfortunately, life is based on patriarchal skills.
All women can do their duties, but nobody believes that; lt must change, lt will change.’
(p.38) Some writers think that Virginia wrote her feminism in all her books, but this feminism
was really dominant in her two books. (Mrs Dalloway and A Room One’s Own ).

When we look at Virginia Woolf and her feminism it shows us both her term’s social
conditions and the place of woman. However; Virginia and her feminism reflected all the
authors of modern period. She is a very important and impressive novelist, essayist,
biographer and feminist. In this paper essential, useful, explanory information about Virginia
Woolf and her feminism will be studied from the view point of many researchers. At the end
of the paper we will show who Virginia Woolf is, what the definition of feminism is and what
the her feminism is, the effect of feminism in her life. Her most important works about
feminism. Is Virginia Woolf really feminist or did she really supported suffragette? And, after
Virginia Woolf, ıs her feminism still al

4) Introduction of Virginia Woolf’s life

Adeline Virgina Stephan (Woolf) was born in 25 January 1882 in london, England. Her
parents were Sir leslie Stephan ( 1832-1904) and Julia Prinsep Duckworth ( 1846-1895).
Leslie Stephen was a notable historian, author, critic and mountaineer. Vanessa (1879), Thoby
( 1880), Adrian ( 1883) were her siblings.

Woolf was raised in Victorian society. She was not given an education and observed her
father’s writing abilities. Her brothers Adrian and Thoby were sent to Cambrige. Therefore,
she learned literature and classics from their library. Her mother died in 1895. Virginia was
thirteen years old. With this situation, her nervous breakdowns started. Meantime, she started
to take Greek, Latin, German and history lessons at the Ladies' Department of King's College
London between 1897 and 1901. She contacted with some the early reformers of women's
higher education. She attended a group. This group was Bloomsbury Group. She also became
a member of the People’s Suffrage Federation and of the Women’s Co-operative Guild.

Her father suddenly died in 1904. Meyer (1998) states that ‘’ the death of her father in
1904 provoked her most alarming collapse and she was briefly institutionalised’’. Modern
scholars think that her breakdowns and subsequent recurring depressive periods were also
influenced by the plague because she spent three short periods in 1910, 1912, 1913 at Burley
House. Pearce (2007) says that ‘’ Burley House was a private nursing home for women with
nervous disorder’’ (pp.6). Though this instability often affected her social life, her literary
productivity continued with few breaks throughout her life.

Much scholars has been made of Woolf's mental illness, explained as a "manic-
depressive illness". Thomas Caramagno described Woolf’s mental ilness us in his book ‘The
Flight of the Mind: Virginia Woolf's Art and Manic-Depressive Illness’ ‘‘neurotic-genius way
of looking at mental illness, where people rationalise that creativity is somehow born of
mental illness’’. In two books by Stephen Trombley, Woolf is described as having a
confrontational relationship with her doctors, and possibly being a woman who is a "victim of
male medicine", referring to the contemporary relative lack of understanding about mental
illness.
 After these developments Virginia married writer Leonard Woolf on 10 August 1912.
Messud ( 2006) explains us in his article that ‘’ In 1937, Woolf wrote in her diary:
‘’Love-making after 25 years can't bear to be separate ... you see it is enormous
pleasure being wanted: a wife. And our marriage so complete." . She and her husband
found the Hogarth Press. By this way, Virginia and her friends’ novels were published.
She used a lot of genres in her works like feminism, stream-of-consciousness
techniques, her own life, parodic biography, antisemitism, fascism, Judaism,
Christianity and so on… After she finished her last novel Between the Acts Woolf
felt depression like before she experienced. Shirley (1987) said ‘’on 28 March 1941,
Woolf put on her overcoat, filled its pockets with stones, walked into the River
Ouse near her home, and drowned herself. Woolf's body was not found until 18 April
1941’’. Her husband buried her to the garden of Monk’s House, their home in
Rodmell, Sussex

5)Definition of feminism

According to Cambridge Dictionary ‘’Feminism’’ is a collection of movements and

ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic,
and social rights for women. Also, lt is the belief that women should be allowed the
same rights, power and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set
of activities intended to achieve this state.

Naber (1994) says that ‘‘the words "feminism" and "feminist" first appeared
in France and the Netherlands in 1872’’. (p.31). Feminists first aim was women’s
rights. Historians assert that every feminist issue dealt with different aspects but in
same way. The first wave was women’s suffrage. It was nineteenth and early twenteeth
century. The second wave was women’s liberation movement. It began in the 1960s.
Women were more legal and equal. The third wave was the same. It was related to the
liberation movement. Krolokke and Sorensen (2005) state that the third wave is a
continuation of, and a reaction to the perceived failures of second-wave feminism,
beginning in the 1990s ’’(p.24).

According some researchers, Virginia’s feminism started at her childhood. Her brothers
were sent to Cambridge University. When she went library of Cambridge she was
fired. Because she was woman. Therefore she was really angry with all of patriachal
system. But, her father was a writer. She learnt a lot of information from her father and
 she read his brother’s books. The second reason was different. Writer of Virginia
Woolf and feminism Eveline Podgorski shows us important information about Virginia
and his father. She said that ‘’ after her mother died in 1895 at the age of 49, Leslie
Stephen tried to force his daughters into the empty space the mother left as being a
perfect hostess, which made them fear and hate their father, and which had also a great
effect on Virginia striving for a way out of this Victorian tradition.’’(p.20). Therefore,
Virginia wrote a lot of novels, essays about feminism, because she saw many reasons
in her real life and she used this in her work. Nicolson (1888-1912) says that ‘’the
disparity Woolf saw in her parents’ marriage made her determined that “the man she
married would be as worthy of her as she of him. They were to be equal partners.”
She think that women have really hard duty. Therefore, they want to be equal with
men.

The third reason was the most effective in her life. Virginia was a lesbian. Women have
very important role in her works, because her mate selection was different from other
women. She is a lesbian and she used this theme in her novels. But she married with
Leonard Woolf. Virginia wavered, partly due to her fear of marriage and the emotional
and sexual involvement the partnership requires. Woolf (1888-1912 ) She wrote to
Leonard: “ as I told you brutally the other day, I feel no physical attraction in you.
There are moments—when you kissed me the other day was one when I feel no more
than a rock. And yet your caring for me as you do almost overwhelms me. It is so real,
and so strange.”

6) Feminism in Mrs Dalloway

Mrs Dalloway is one of the most important works of Virginia Woolf. The novel’s basic
issue is time , actually roles of women of the time period. Logan says in her article ‘’
the story is a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, who while planning a party, reflects
on her life and feels as though much of it has been trivial. ‘’ Virginia Woolf explains
us the women of her era, social role of women, patriarchal system of Victorian Period,
differences between men and women and the effects of the mental illness .

Clarissa Dalloway represents the power of woman. According to Woolf , she is very
strong but alone. But she never said this situation loudly. Actually, she is not Clarissa; she is
Mrs. Dalloway, surname of his husband, her name anymore. Clarissa and Peter’s situation is
the main topic in the novel. Peter is a friend of Clarissa and he loves Clarissa. But Clarissa
married with Mr. Dalloway. Love was complex for Clarissa. When we look Clarissa’s
situation we can see situation of society and patriarchal system of term.

Peter and Clarissa are main chararacters of the novel. Peter has mental ilness because of
war. Woolf thinks that he is very weak when we compared to Clarissa. Clarissa is alone but
she still has expectations. Peter has his wife. He can do everything if he wants. Septimus was
not as strong as Clarissa. But Clarissa is vivider than Peter in the novel.

In the novel, the wife of Septimus is an example of Woolf’s feminism. Septimus’s

situation is hard. But his wife tried to do everything for saving him. Actually, she is the most
important figure against patriarchal system.

At the end of the novel, Septimus killed himself. Woolf shows us the weakness and
misery of men. Clarissa senses this situation. But she goes on to party and hears death of
Septimus. We can see differences between men and women in this novel. This novel is
important because Septimus and Clarissa’s situations are visible for feminism.

7)Feminism in A Room of Ones Own

A Room of One's Own is generally seen as a feminist text. The title of the work comes
from as Woolf mentioned in A Room of Ones Own 'a woman must have money and a room
of her own if she is to write fiction' (p.4). Virginia says that in book women have been kept
from writing because of their relative poverty, and financial freedom will bring women the
freedom to write; "In the first place, to have a room of her own... was out of the question,
unless her parents were exceptionally rich or very noble" (p.52). According to Woolf every
women should success both writing and reading.

In addition Virgina invented a fictional character whose name is Judith Shakespeare.

Virginia mentioned as a Shakespeare’s sister . Judith represents every woman in her term.
Like Virginia Woolf she stayed at home but her brothers went off to school. Woolf shows us
Judith’s situation in book. Judith stays at home while William goes off to school. Judith is
trapped in the home: "She was as adventurous, as imaginative, as agog to see the world as he
was. But she was not sent to school. (p.47) At the end of this section, Judith killed herself
unlike Shakespeare. Life of Shakespeare was very successful rather than Judith.

As I mentioned before Virginia couldnot go neither Oxford nor Cambridge. She used new
word in book which is ‘Oxbridge’. She ironized all society via this word. Gunes explains this
situation in his book ‘‘ while giving her papers at Cambridge University, she admired the
women of Cambridge , yet she pitied them for their poverty and destinies. Additionally,
money, freedom and social class were very important topics in essay. But according to Woolf
a room was more important than other topics. if every women have a room they can be majör
writer one day. Woolf suggest that both ‘a room’ and ‘money’ are crucial and closely linked to
creativity, while both Woolf and Rose argue that the material things such as ‘a room’ and
‘money’ will help women be creative and write freely without psychological disturbance and
interruption. ‘’ (p.154-5).

8)Summary and conclusions

When we look Virginia Woolf and feminism, we can see effect of Virginia’s violent life,
her two books, her mental illness, her family and reason of feminism. Feminism was main
the topic in her life. She wrote about feminism because she couldnot find any identity in
society. She wrote the situation of women in novels. She used real characters like the sister of
Shakespeare. She wrote If Shakespeare had any sister how could be her end. Also, she used
new word which is Oxbridge. She wants to take revenge from all society because society was
patriarchal. She couldnot do whatever she wanted. Death of her father and mother were the
second shock in her life. Mental ilness started at this time. Actually her literary career started
in this time too. She met a lot of writers and she married, and then her works started to be
published in this period.

She supported all women for writing. She said this sentences in her two novels ‘ A Room
Ones Own’ and ‘ Mrs Dalloway’. In Mrs Dalloway she mentioned Clarissa Dalloway and her
one day, and Septimus’s obsessive situation and at the end of novel his death. Just like
Septimus Virginia killed herself. In ‘A Room Ones Own’ Virginia showed us the place of
women. She thinks that 'a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write
fiction'.

Shortly, Virginia wrote her essays, letters, works for all of Victorian women and any of the
period’s woman. She showed us every woman can succeed any work. I think her life should
be lesson for everybody because all women have ability and all women have freedom if they
want. Virginia Woolf is the most important example for this.
9) Bibliography

Gunes, A. (2000-2001). Virginia Woolf’s View of Social System in Mrs Dalloway. Academic
Research Journal, (7-8), pp.33-47.

Gunes, A. (2007). Dark Fields of Civilization: A Cultural and Ideological Approach to the
Issues of Women in the Novels of Virginia Woolf. Ankara: Cantekin matbaası.

(2010). Modernism: Virginia Woolf. (online). Available at: modernism. Research.yale.edu.

Gılbert, S. ,Gubar, S. (2007). Feminist Literary Theory and Criticism: A NortonReader.

NewYork&London: Norton&Company.

(2010). Feminism in Mrs Dalloway (online). Available at: http://www.studymode.com.

Rich, J. (1992) About a Room of one’s own: Liberation, Feminism and Androgyny (online).
Available at: http://www.cygneis.com.

Podgorski, E. (2005). Virginia Woolf and Feminism: the Feminism Aspect of Her Life and
Novels. Germany.

(2013). Virginia Woolf (online). Available at: www.123helpme.com.

Brooks, R. Three Guineas by Virginia Woolf ( online ). Available at: virginiawoolfblog.com.

Woolf, V. (1989). ‘A Room of Ones Own’. Oxford University Press

Harcourt B & Co., (1989) Woolf, V. A Room of One's Own. New York:

Logan, C. (2007). Feminism in Mrs Dalloway (online). Available at: http://voices.yahoo.com.

Marcus, L.(2006). Woolf's feminism and feminism's Woolf. Cambridge Companions Online

Woolf, V. (2009). ‘Mrs Dalloway’ . Oxford University Press

Mrs. Dalloway (online). Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org

A Room of Ones Own (online). Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org

Feminism (online). Available at: http://dictionary.cambridge.org

1)Table of contents

1)Table of contents ……………………………………………………. 1

2)Abstract………………………………………………………………. 2

3) Introduction: Why is topic important and structure of this paper……………. 2-3-4

4) Introduction of Virginia Woolf’s life ………………………………… 4-5

Death of Virginia’s mother and father

Her mental ilness

Relationship between her marriage and her husband

5)Definition of feminism………………………………………………….. 5- 6

How feminism influenced her?

6)Feminism in Mrs Dalloway………………………………………………. 6-7

7)Feminism in A Room of One’s Own………………………………………7-8

8)Summary and conclusions………………………………………………… 8

9)Bibliography……………………………………………………………….. 9
 Virginia Woolf’s Last Letter to Her Husband

In March 1941, Virginia Woolf wrote this letter to her husband, Leonard. It would be the last
letter to her beloved. On the 28th of the month, she committed suicide. Woolf suffered from
severe depression, an ailment that plagued her previously over the years. She would be unable
to recover from this setback, and she knew it in her heart. Woolf had worked through too
many difficulties in her life and admitted to her husband that her will to continue was gone. A
terrifically sad end to an enormous talent. Woolf filled the pockets of her overcoat with stones
and walked into the River House, which ran near her home. Her body was not discovered
until the following month. Here is Virginia Woolf’s last letter to Leonard. Heart-wrenching
doesn’t even begin to describe her words. It is one of the most moving, painful letters ever
written. Michael D Kelleher

Dearest,

I feel certain that I am going mad again. I feel we can’t go through another
of those terrible times. And I shan’t recover this time. I begin to hear voices,
and I can’t concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You
have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way
all that anyone could be. I don’t think two people could have been happier ’til
this terrible disease came. I can’t fight any longer. I know that I am spoiling your life, that
without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I can’t even write this properly.
I can’t read. What I want to say is I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been
entirely patient with me and incredibly good. I want to say that everybody knows it. If
anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but
the certainty of your goodness. I can’t go on spoiling your life any longer. I don’t think
two people could have been happier than we have been.
V.