A review by paigieodo
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

informative inspiring slow-paced

3.0

If read keeping the time period in mind, this essay provides a very valuable reflection of the perpetuity of the poverty of women. Woolf's stream-of-consciousness style makes for a less academic read and allows the reader to connect more to her ideas. More often than I anticipated, I found myself getting emotional at her observations. She makes statements about womanhood and quiet oppressions that are well-understood today, but in the essay's historical context, are revelatory. Even in the feminist political landscape of today, many of the issues Woolf discusses that condemn women (and by extension, other disenfranchised peoples) to poverty are not often challenged or explored; for example, the titular "room of one's own" refers to a woman's lack of privacy, lack of freedom, and lack of opportunity to escape the financial control of men. Anyone would struggle to create great works without these privileges, hence why women do not have a stronghold in many realms of society, including politics and art. Despite being published in 1928, it can, in this way, be understood as relevant to modern society — those who are vulnerable to financial codependence or relegated to service roles in society have little means to create. This does not mean they are less valuable, but simply that we do not provide them with the necessary space to forge things. Woolf's essay is worth a read by any critical eye. Note in tags: minor racism.
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