Virginia Woolfs A Room of Ones Own Essay -- Virginia Woolf Room One

Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own Missing works cited In A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf ponders the plight of women throughout history. Woolf 'reads the lives of women and concludes that if a woman were to have written she would have had to overcome enormous circumstances' (Woolf xi). Woolf's initial thesis is that 'a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction' (Woolf 4). Throughout the book, however, she develops other important conditions for artistic creation. Woolf mentions many nineteenth century female writers in order to explain these conditions, but she does not mention Mary Shelley. Woolf most likely excludes the author of Frankenstein because her writing contains considerable male influence. The circumstances of Shelley's life, however, meet Virginia Woolf's basic requirements for the production of good fiction. Mary Shelley possesses a well-rounded education, encouragement, and an 'androgynous and incandescent' mind (Woolf 98). In A Room of One?s Own, Virginia Woolf suggests women produce so little literature because of the tremendous discouragement and criticism that female writers face. She discusses the effects of opposition and disapproval upon the artistic mind. The opinions of others greatly affect artists, and it is those of genius who are most sensitive to criticism. Woolf proposes that it was literally impossible for a talented woman to write well during the sixteenth century: ?A highly gifted girl who had tried to use her gift would have been so thwarted and hindered by other people, so tortured and pulled asunder by her own contrary instincts, that she must have lost her health and sanity to a certainty? (Woolf 49). To further illustrate her poin... ...tial thesis is that ?a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction? (Woolf 4). Throughout the book, however, she develops other important conditions for artistic creation such as a wellrounded education, encouragement, and an ?incandescent and androgynous? mind (Woolf 98). Although Virginia Woolf does not mention Mary Shelley in A Room of One?s Own, probably because of the strong male influence in Shelley?s writing, the circumstances of her life meet Woolf?s basic criteria for the production of good fiction. Mary Shelley?s excellent literary education, stimulating life experiences, encouragement from family, and lack of anger, bitterness, and fear in her writing grant her the status of one of the most famous female writers of the nineteenth century. Works Cited: Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. New York: Harcourt, 1989.