“…then the opportunity will come and the dead port who was Shakespeare’s sister will put on the body which she has so often laid down. Drawing her life from the lives of the unknown who were her forerunners, as her brother did before her, she will be born. As for her coming without that preparations, without that effort on our part, without that determination that when she is born again she shall find possible to live and write her poetry, that we cannot expect, for that would be impossible. But I maintain that she would come if we worked for her, and that so to work, even in poverty and obscurity, is worth while.”
In the early 20th Century, females have yet to gain any real standing in society other than that of the housewife and Woolf is determined to change this aspect of society. Throughout A Room of One’s Own, Woolf talks of the plight of the woman, but mainly, she talks of the plight of the female writer, since she is one herself. She says that to be able to write: a female must have money and “a room of one’s own.” Money so that she does not have to worry about surviving, and a room of her own so that she is not influenced by society, which enable her to write more freely. Money also brings education, which gives her the ability to express her thoughts in words.
Woolf uses a hypothetical figure, Shakespeare’s sister, to further her argument. Shakespeare’s sister contains the cleverness and potential of Shakespeare himself, but because of society’s bias against females, she is never able to show her true potential as a writer. Society hinders her from writing, and she dies without ever being able to write a single play or poem.
The Term Paper on Androgyny And The Will Of Shakespeares Female Characters A Feminist Perspective
Throughout Mans history, women have always been at a disadvantage socially, economically, and politically. Shakespeare realized this and sought to bring the controversy that comes with Androgynous issuesto life. Through strong female characters and the implications of disguises, Shakespeare exposes gender issues. Many critics believe Shakespeare poorly represents women in his plays through ...
The quote above is from the end of A Room of One’s Own, which portrays the reincarnation of Shakespeare’s sister. Society no longer hinders her and she can now write more freely. She no longer needs money nor education. The quote above expresses Woolf’s hope for womankind and mankind. It tells why Woolf’s continues to fight for woman’s rights even though she will not be a direct recipient of her efforts: the ability to write freely.