SCRIBBLE
NEWNHAM VIRGINIA WOOLF ESSAY
“I find myself saying briefly and prosaically that it is much more important to be oneself than anyone else. Do not dream of influencing other people”
To what extent was this possible for female writers pre-1928? Ninety years on, is the situation any different? “It was very peaceful and quiet…I did not want anyone with me, not even Maxim. If Maxim had been here I should not be lying as I was now…I should have been watching him…wondering if he liked it, if he was bored…How lovely it was to be alone again.”
D
aphne du Maurier epitomises the symbolism that Woolf cites in A Room Of One’s Own, that a “woman must have [a] room of her own if she is to write”, whereby “a room” is a microcosm of a wider society allowing women the independence to decide whose influences enter their four walls of freedom. Perhaps Woolf’s suggestion brings to light the important fact that women pre-1928 weren’t allowed the physical and metaphorical concept of ‘space’ to have a voice and consequently, a patriarchal society restricted them in the process of their self-discovery.
Y
et, considering our modern-day society, it could be argued that Woolf’s notion made ninety years ago is still applicable today and that stereotypes still remain; the fight to conform to society’s preconceived idea of who one should be, restrains women from being “oneself”. 18
