Essay about Breaking Convention in A Room of Ones Own

Breaking Convention in A Room of Ones Own New discoveries and exciting breakthroughs are all made at the expense of contradicting old rules and ideas. In order for Earth to be round, it could no longer be flat. Revolutions in literature, science, and countries are always filled with conflicts and contradictions to traditional conventions. In this sense, Virgina Woolfs essay A Room of Ones Own can be called a revolution. Woolf breaks nearly all the rules of essay writing in her argumentative essay. She addresses the reader in the first person, tells the reader that she is lying, focuses on unnecessary details, and even contradicts herself from time to time. Why does Woolf, a competent writer, decide to write this way? Perhaps, her†¦show more content†¦Again Woolf decides to operate against the convention. She writes her whole essay in the first person, making her essay feel very much like a diary. This is not commonly believed to be effective writing, and for an eminent writer such as Woolf to write in this manner is puzzling. At various points in her essay, Woolf breaks so many of the conventional rules that the reader might wonder whether or not she realize what she is doing. Woolfs mistakes may have been deemed as excusable if she claimed them to be just that; however, this scenario fails when she states in the essay that she is conscious of what she is doing. In talking about the luncheon Woolf admits that it is part of the novelists convention not to mention soup and salmon and ducklings, but [she] shall take the liberty to defy that convention and talk in detail of the food.(723-724) Woolf shows the reader that she knows that she is straying away from the conventional style of writing, but she is not about to change her ways. Woolf even makes the catastrophic mistake of contradicting herself in her own essay when she reminds [women] that there have been at least two colleges for women in existence in England since the year 1866 and blames them for not having pushed their literary progress further, wh ile commenting on the hindrance of womens literary progress by uncontrollable forces.(742) An argument can never be convincing if even theShow MoreRelated Virginia Woolf Essay1175 Words   |  5 PagesWoolf was a very powerful and imaginative writer. In a quot;Room of Ones Ownquot; she takes her motivational views about women and fiction and weaves them into a story. Her story is set in a imaginary place where here audience can feel comfortable and open their minds to what she is saying. In this imaginary setting with imaginary people Woolf can live out and see the problems women faced in writing. Woolf also goes farther by breaking many of the rules of writing in her essay. She may do this toRead MoreJane Austens Novel Sense and Sensibility: An Analysis1492 Words   |  6 Pagestwo sisters to symbolize the different directions the female spirit can be pulled, Austen shows the variable ways women respond to political, social, and economic oppression. The women of Sense and Sensibi lity are both trapped by, and breaking free from, the conventions of marriage and motherhood. Marriage and motherhood are portrayed ironically as the natural course of womens lives, but also as the chain that prevents their self-fulfillment. The social norm of patrilineal inheritance leaves ElinoreRead MoreDavid and Goiath: The Tale of Poetry738 Words   |  3 Pagesstrength, not the tool of pragmatism. They are underestimated, and the lack of expectations on them gives them their strength: the room to be foolish, to be blunt, and to be imperfect. In short, poetry is useful because we do not think it is; as Sylvia Plath’s brutally truthful poems demonstrate, in poetry there is freedom to reveal one’s flawed self and stray from convention. In Plath’s confessional style of poetry, we find no restraint in her word choice, writing style, and subject matter; this emphasizesRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Abolished in Malaysia902 Words   |  4 Pagesfor today as clearly, it is incongruent with what Malaysia is aiming for. The aim is to be a fully developed country and to be one Malaysia has to fulfil all challenges which one of it is to be a fully caring society (Razak, 2010). Putting an end to one’s life does not define â€Å"caring† at all. Even though the punishment has been practised in almost every society, many have abandoned the punishment and more are in favour of abolishing it (Caroline Sculier, 2010). If the policy is as such, then the governmentRead MoreThe Oppression of Women in A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Wolf1749 Words   |  7 Pagesis evident throughout Woolf’s writing that Shakespeare’s works were highly influential. Her novels frequently allude to his plays, most notably Orlando, Mrs. Dalloway, and also in her famous essay, A Room of One’s Own. Though Woolf admires Shakespeare’s androgyny (specifically in A Room of One’s Own), she also makes the case that his treatment of female characters does not allow for the women to be three-dimensional, therefore leaving them flat and lacking in depth. Even though for the most partRead MoreIn Areas of Knowledge Such as the Arts or the Sciences, Do We Learn More from Work That Follows or That Breaks with Accepted Convention?1825 Words   |  8 Pagesarts and the sciences, do we learn more from work that follows or that breaks with accepted conventions? Question 6: In areas of knowledge such as the arts and the sciences, do we learn more from work that follows or that breaks with accepted conventions? Is it possible that we learn equally from seemingly contradictory situations of work that follows and work that breaks with accepted conventions? Stereotypically the sciences and mathematics are all about fundamental laws, which are furtherRead More Virginia Woolfs Style And Subject In A Room of Ones Own Essay1851 Words   |  8 Pages Times have changed since universities admitted only male students. Women have gained the right to educate themselves, and the division of the sexes in business has decreased dramatically. When Virginia Woolf wrote her essay A Room of One’s Own, however, there was a great lack of female presence in literature, in writing specifically. In the essay, Woolf critiques this fact by taking the reader on a journey through a day in the life at a fictional university to prove that although women are capableRead MoreAndrew Jackson : The Age Of Jackson1376 Words   |  6 PagesIn 1828, otherwise known as â€Å"The Age of Jackson†, America was a c ountry on its way to the West. America’s revolutionary generation was quickly fading, making room for a new balance of political power. As the class systems were breaking down, the â€Å"common man† was better able to cast his vote for the new President. Jackson was glorified by his impressive war accomplishments and humble background of the frontier. This made him the main target for presidency in election 1824. Once coming to power,Read MorePride And Prejudice Essay1680 Words   |  7 Pagesless significant, there are still parts of the world that â€Å"in order to survive†¦it is the pretty girl†¦who marries the rancher†. Weldon constantly points out to Alice the social gap between the context of Postmodernism and Austen’s. By reflecting on her own context, Weldon encourages Alice to appreciate the changing attitudes towards relationships and the prosperous lifestyles that women can pursue instead of marriage. The significance of marriage h as declined, however in some developing countries, itRead MoreEssay Feminism in Literature1552 Words   |  7 Pagesissues such as gender roles, racism, and class distinction. Stories set up a context in which characters relate, often representing â€Å"stock† characters chosen from society and placed in situations where their stereotypical behaviors—and sometimes their breaking of these stereotypes—are highlighted. As feminism became a popular movement in Western countries in general and the United States in particular, female voices were naturally heard through fictional characters. Social and political issues commonly