www.huffpost.com
Open in
urlscan Pro
151.101.2.114
Public Scan
URL:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/virginia-woolf-feminist_n_6534258
Submission Tags: demotag1 demotag2 Search All
Submission: On January 31 via api from IE — Scanned from DE
Submission Tags: demotag1 demotag2 Search All
Submission: On January 31 via api from IE — Scanned from DE
Form analysis 1 forms found in the DOM
<form class="newsletter__input"><input type="email" class="newsletter__input__text" name="email_address" aria-label="Enter your email address" placeholder="address@email.com" value="" aria-describedby="newsletter-error" autocomplete="email"><input
type="submit" class="newsletter__input__submit js-cet-item" aria-label="SIGN UP" value="SUBSCRIBE">
<div id="newsletter-error" class="newsletter__error"></div>
</form>Text Content
WHAT'S HOT THE RIGHT'S NEWEST CONSPIRACY IS THE SUPER BOWL-TAYLOR SWIFT-JOE BIDEN 'PSYOP' ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PROPOSES BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW POLITICIANS TO OVERTURN ELECTIONS OFFICIAL THOUGHT MICHIGAN SCHOOL SHOOTER'S MOM ACTIONS TOWARDS SON 'STRANGE' ELON MUSK CAN'T KEEP TESLA PAY PACKAGE WORTH MORE THAN $55 BILLION RIGHT-WING INFLUENCER'S PLAN TO THWART TAYLOR SWIFT BRUTALLY MOCKED DONALD TRUMP REPORTEDLY CLAIMS HE'S MORE POPULAR THAN TAYLOR SWIFT FLORENCE PUGH SAYS CAMERA BROKE DURING 'OPPENHEIMER' SEX SCENE SOPHIE TURNER GOES INSTAGRAM OFFICIAL WITH HER RUMORED NEW MAN AFTER JOE JONAS SPLIT PRIEST FOUND DEAD FOLLOWING WEEKEND SHOOTOUT IN FLORIDA FLORIDA REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE ‘FRIGHTENING’ BILL THAT COULD THREATEN IVF MIKE JOHNSON SAYS HIS OPPOSITION TO BORDER DEAL ISN'T A BID TO BOOST TRUMP JIMMY FALLON SPOTS HOW TRUMP IS RAISING THE $83 MILLION HE OWES E. JEAN CARROLL Skip to Main Content × MAIN MENU U.S. Edition NEWS U.S. NewsWorld NewsBusinessEnvironmentHealthSocial JusticeCrime POLITICS Joe BidenCongressExtremism OPINION ENTERTAINMENT Culture & ArtsMediaCelebrityTV & FilmBooks LIFE Style & BeautyFood & DrinkParentingTravelWellnessRelationshipsMoneyHome & LivingWork/LifeShopping VOICES Black VoicesQueer VoicesLatino VoicesIndigenous VoicesAsian VoicesWomen's Voices HUFFPOST PERSONAL VIDEO FOR OUR PARTNERS Moving The Dream Forward HOROSCOPES NEWSLETTERS PYRAMID SCHEME (WORD GAME) INTERNATIONAL U.S.U.K.EspañaFranceΕλλάδα (Greece)Italia日本 (Japan)한국 (Korea) FOLLOW US Terms | Privacy Policy Part of HuffPost News. ©2024 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Support UsLog In NEWSPOLITICSENTERTAINMENTLIFEPERSONALVOICESSHOPPING🏆 PLAY PYRAMID SCHEME 🏆 Support UsU.S. EditionOpen editions submenu × Booksvirginia woolfFeminism WHY VIRGINIA WOOLF SHOULD BE YOUR FEMINIST ROLE MODEL Why Virginia Woolf Should Be Your Feminist Role Model By Maddie Crum Writer Jan 25, 2015, 10:09 AM EST |Updated Dec 6, 2017 LEAVE A COMMENT Although Virginia Woolf is now accepted as a major writer and an early feminist, her work wasn't embraced or widely anthologized until nearly 50 years after her novels were published. Though many of her stories don't adhere to the informal strictures of modernism -- she often voiced her distaste for James Joyce and other contemporaries who wrote unabashedly about sexuality -- she's championed today for subtly calling attention to women's issues. In her novels and her many letters to her fellow thinkers in the Bloomsbury group, she artfully made clear many double standards of her day. Here's why, in addition to Roxane Gay, Bey and Lena Dunham, Virginia Woolf should be one of your feminist role models: She was chiefly interested in the inner lives of women. Unlike many of her literary predecessors, Woolf aimed to give credence to the unspoken emotions and interpretations we experience daily. She did this not only by placing more traditionally feminine themes at the forefront of her stories, but by penning sentences with a cadence that revealed the inner workings of her characters’ minds. A New Yorker article calls this, “The tragic lack of correspondence between intention and expression; and what these reveal about the nature of love.” Advertisement While this dissonance isn’t only of interest to women, it’s true that such “small” themes have traditionally been the subject of books by female authors, and have lamentably been shunned by critics for their “smallness.” Woolf, however, was too impressive to be ignored. She lived in a time when she was granted few rights -- but turned the setback into a strength. When her contemporaries were authoring stories about the violent events of World War I, Woolf, who hadn’t the opportunity to fight, instead turned her narrative eye towards its impact on domestic life, and wrote Jacob’s Room, which revealed the more personal impact of grief and trauma. She was criticized by female writers of her ilk, such as Katherine Mansfield, for not addressing war and politics more directly, but continued to do the sort of work she believed in. She was progressive in her feminism, and even made the connection between a patriarchal society and militarism. Remember last week's State of the Union address, when Obama called America's still-lacking equal pay for women exactly what it is: embarrassing? Virginia Woolf wrote about the detriments caused by gender-influenced salaries long before moves were made to change legislation. In A Room of One's Own, she famously explains that without financial freedom, women cannot possess full creative or intellectual freedom. While Woolf's essay directly evaluates the role of education -- which was withheld from many women of her time -- she goes on to equate schooling with income and self-sufficiency. In a later book-length essay, Three Guineas, written on the heels of World War II, she responded to a letter from a man asking how war could be prevented. Woolf used this correspondence not only to call attention to her pacifism, but also to the fact that as a woman her political ideas aren't valued. She wrote, "behind us lies the patriarchal system; the private house, with it nullity, its immorality, its hypocrisy, its servility. Before us lies the public world, the professional system, with its possessiveness, its jealousy, its pugnacity, its greed." Advertisement She believed deeply in the power of the individual. Virginia Woolf's advice on reading may be every high school English teacher's nightmare, but it's hugely empowering nonetheless. She writes, "take no advice, to follow your own instincts, to use your own reason, to come to your own conclusions... After all, what laws can be laid down about books? The battle of Waterloo was certainly fought on a certain day; but is Hamlet a better play than Lear? Nobody can say. Each must decide that question for himself." Asserting that there's no one correct way of interpreting a text may be controversial, but Woolf herself, who never received a university degree, was often forced to challenge conventions in order to succeed. She saw sexuality -- and gender -- as fluid. In a letter written around the same time as Three Guineas, Woolf not only acknowledges that gender-specific traits are socialized, but implies that gendered desires are often a source of violence. Such themes are explored thoroughly in her fiction, including her first novel, A Voyage Out, which mirrors her personal voyage from a more traditional upbringing to the intellectually stimulating Bloomsbury group she became a regular fixture of. She's already been a feminist role model for countless artists and thinkers Including Simone de Beauvoir and Michael Cunningham, to name a few! SUPPORT HUFFPOST THE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone. Our News, Politics and Culture teams invest time and care working on hard-hitting investigations and researched analyses, along with quick but robust daily takes. Our Life, Health and Shopping desks provide you with well-researched, expert-vetted information you need to live your best life, while HuffPost Personal, Voices and Opinion center real stories from real people. Help keep news free for everyone by giving us as little as $1. Your contribution will go a long way. At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone. Help keep news free for everyone by giving us as little as $1. Your contribution will go a long way. As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. A vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why HuffPost's journalism is free for everyone, not just those who can afford expensive paywalls. We cannot do this without your help. Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month. As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why we keep our journalism free for everyone, even as most other newsrooms have retreated behind expensive paywalls. Our newsroom continues to bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes on one of the most consequential elections in recent history. Reporting on the current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly — and we need your help. Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month. Support HuffPost RELATED booksvirginia woolfFeminism BEFORE YOU GO 14 BADASS FEMALE AUTHORS See Gallery LEAVE A COMMENT MADDIE CRUM Writer Suggest a correction Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Here’s how. Go to Homepage POPULAR IN THE COMMUNITY FROM OUR PARTNER Recommended by FROM OUR PARTNER Recommended by FROM OUR PARTNER Recommended by HUFFPOST SHOPPING'S BEST FINDS WE PREDICT THAT THIS 'GENIUS' WATER BOTTLE WILL UNSEAT STANLEY IN 2024. HERE'S WHY. THE TINY TECH PURCHASE THAT MADE MY LIFE 1,000 TIMES EASIER 25 REUSABLE PRODUCTS THAT'LL REPLACE EXPENSIVE DISPOSABLE VERSIONS FOR GOOD HOW TO PROPERLY STORE YOUR SENTIMENTAL CLUTTER, ACCORDING TO ORGANIZATION EXPERTS I HAVE EXPENSIVE TASTE. HERE ARE THE NICEST UNDER-$20 VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTS YOU CAN FIND ON AMAZON. Newsletter Sign Up BOOKS Get book recommendations, author interviews and info on new releases. Successfully Subscribed! Realness delivered to your inbox By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Close WHAT'S HOT BRIAN WILSON'S WIFE MELINDA LEDBETTER DEAD AT 77 JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROBES 'SQUAD' MEMBER OVER SECURITY SPENDING SENATE DEMOCRATS URGE BIDEN TO DESCHEDULE MARIJUANA ENTIRELY SOTOMAYOR SAYS SHE LIVES IN ‘FRUSTRATION’ AS CONSERVATIVE BENCH RESHAPES THE NATION MORE IN BOOKS ONE OF BOOKTOK'S MOST ANTICIPATED VIRAL FANTASY NOVELS IS FINALLY HERE MEET THE 33-YEAR-OLD LIBRARIAN SPREADING 'LIBRARY JOY' TO THE TIKTOK MASSES HUGH HEFNER’S WIDOW SAYS HE FILMED CELEBS HAVING SEX IN HIS BED WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT REVIEWERS CALL THIS HANDS-FREE LIGHT THE 'BEST PURCHASE THEY’VE EVER MADE' 'ORIGIN' IS BARELY EVEN A MOVIE EXTREMISM IS RAMPANT IN THIS PART OF THE U.S. — AND THERE'S A TOXIC REASON FOR IT BIBLE EXPERT REVEALS WHY THERE'S AN 'H' IN 'JESUS H. CHRIST' BILL O’REILLY IS FURIOUS AS HIS OWN TITLES GET REMOVED AFTER SUPPORTING FLORIDA BOOK BANS KEANU REEVES ANNOUNCES NOVEL WITH 'WEIRD FICTION' AUTHOR CHINA MIÉVILLE 32 PRODUCTS TO MAKE YOU COMFY AND COZY WHILE YOU READ MERRIAM-WEBSTER IS AS CONFUSED BY SANTA’S REINDEER NAMES AS WE ARE 47 BOOKS WE LOVED THIS YEAR 'ORIGIN' IS BARELY EVEN A MOVIE MERRIAM-WEBSTER KEEPS IT REAL WITH ITS WORD OF THE YEAR FOR 2023 REPUBLICANS HAVE A CONTROVERSIAL NEW WAY OF BANNING LIBRARY BOOKS PINK PULLS AN IN-YOUR-FACE MOVE TO FIGHT BOOK BANS IN FLORIDA VIDEO SHOWS RIGHT-WING ACTIVISTS DEMANDING POLICE PROBE OVER NOVEL FOUND IN SCHOOLS A CLIP OF MICHELLE WILLIAMS NARRATING BRITNEY SPEARS' AUDIOBOOK GOES VIRAL FOR THIS 1 MOMENT THESE ARE ALL OF 'GOOSEBUMPS' AUTHOR R.L. STINE'S FAVORITE SCARY BOOKS FOR HALLOWEEN JADA PINKETT SMITH CONGRATULATES BRITNEY SPEARS WITH AN AMAZING THROWBACK VIDEO NEWSPOLITICSENTERTAINMENTLIFEVOICESHUFFPOST PERSONALSHOPPINGNEWSLETTERS About UsAdvertiseContact UsRSSFAQCareersUser AgreementComment PolicyDMCA PolicyHuffPost Press RoomAccessibility StatementPrivacy PolicyConsent PreferencesManage Preferences Part of HuffPost News. ©2024 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The Huffington Post WE CARE ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY We and our 790 partners will store and access information on your device with your consent. Browsing data is collected through the use of cookies to process personal data. You can give or withdraw your consent by clicking on the `Show Purposes` button. You can manage your choices and exercise your right to object on the basis of legitimate interest at any time by clicking on the cog icon at the bottom left corner of every page. WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS DATA TO PROVIDE: Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development. List of Partners (vendors) I Accept Reject All Show Purposes ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent and legitimate interest. You may exercise your right to consent or object to a legitimate interest, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework. More information Allow All MANAGE CONSENT PREFERENCES STORE AND/OR ACCESS INFORMATION ON A DEVICE 647 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Store and/or access information on a device Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here. List of IAB Vendors | View Illustrations PERSONALISED ADVERTISING AND CONTENT, ADVERTISING AND CONTENT MEASUREMENT, AUDIENCE RESEARCH AND SERVICES DEVELOPMENT 759 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT ADVERTISING 584 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you). View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * CREATE PROFILES FOR PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 482 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities. View Illustrations * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 476 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. View Illustrations * CREATE PROFILES TO PERSONALISE CONTENT 215 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests. View Illustrations * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED CONTENT 190 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests. View Illustrations * MEASURE ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE 680 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns. View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * MEASURE CONTENT PERFORMANCE 346 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you. View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * UNDERSTAND AUDIENCES THROUGH STATISTICS OR COMBINATIONS OF DATA FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES 424 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents). View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * DEVELOP AND IMPROVE SERVICES 515 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers. View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT CONTENT 110 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Switch Label Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you). View Illustrations Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection List of IAB Vendors USE PRECISE GEOLOCATION DATA 255 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Use precise geolocation data With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice. List of IAB Vendors ACTIVELY SCAN DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS FOR IDENTIFICATION 119 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Actively scan device characteristics for identification With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice. List of IAB Vendors ENSURE SECURITY, PREVENT AND DETECT FRAUD, AND FIX ERRORS 488 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Always Active Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them. List of IAB Vendors | View Illustrations DELIVER AND PRESENT ADVERTISING AND CONTENT 474 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Always Active Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device. List of IAB Vendors | View Illustrations MATCH AND COMBINE DATA FROM OTHER DATA SOURCES 332 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Always Active Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice. List of IAB Vendors LINK DIFFERENT DEVICES 316 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Always Active In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices). List of IAB Vendors IDENTIFY DEVICES BASED ON INFORMATION TRANSMITTED AUTOMATICALLY 455 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE Always Active Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice. List of IAB Vendors STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES Always Active These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. FUNCTIONAL COOKIES Functional Cookies These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly. PERFORMANCE COOKIES Performance Cookies These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. TARGETING COOKIES Targeting Cookies These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. SOCIAL MEDIA COOKIES Social Media Cookies These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools. Back Button COOKIE LIST Search Icon Filter Icon Clear checkbox label label Apply Cancel Consent Leg.Interest checkbox label label checkbox label label checkbox label label Reject All Confirm My Choices