HW 21: Women and Fiction

Dear Timmy,
I understand that you have been assigned to read the first chapter in the book “A Room of One’s Own.” I have been reading this book myself and find it quite difficult to always interpret exactly what is being said. From what I understand in the first chapter she is trying to explain the subject of women and fiction, in which she believes women must have a room of their own and money in order to successfully write fiction. She attempts to prove her point by taking the reader through a fictional detour with fictional interruptions. The interruptions which she experiences prove that a woman needs a space of her own where she can write without these disruptions. In the beginning of the chapter she describes an experience in which she was at the river of Oxbridge where she has almost obtained a complete thought, when she is interrupted by a security guard who informs her that women are not allowed on the grass. Then when she attempts to enter the library she is denied the right to enter unless she is accompanied by a man or a letter of introduction. By taking the reader through these different situations Woolf is trying to point out that women have been deprived of having a place to write in which they will not be disturbed. Also she is stating that by denying females the right to enter certain buildings has impaired their freedom. She also addresses the issue between truth and fiction. She claims that fiction is more likely to contain more truth than facts. These are the main points which are expressed throughout the first chapter in the book. I hope this helps.

Your Favorite Cousin,
Ellen