12 Questions
What is the author asked to speak about?
women and fiction
According to the author, what might the title 'women and fiction' mean?
women and what they are like, or women and the fiction that they write, or women and the fiction that is written about them
Why does the author believe she would never be able to come to a conclusion?
The subject seems inextricably mixed together and the author would never be able to fulfill the duty of handing over a nugget of pure truth after an hour's discourse.
What did the words 'women and fiction' initially seem to mean to the author?
a few remarks about Fanny Burney, Jane Austen, a tribute to the Brontës, and some witticisms about Miss Mitford
Where does the author start thinking about the meaning of 'women and fiction'?
The author sat down on the banks of a river
What is the first duty of a lecturer according to the author?
to hand over a nugget of pure truth to wrap up between the pages of your notebooks and keep on the mantelpiece for ever
What did the author believe a woman must have to write fiction?
money and a room of her own
What did the author leave unsolved?
the true nature of woman and the true nature of fiction
What does the author promise to do to make amends for shirking the duty of coming to a conclusion?
to develop in the reader's presence the train of thought which led to the opinion about the room and the money
When a subject is highly controversial, what can one hope to do according to the author?
show how one came to hold whatever opinion one does hold
What does the author suggest is highly controversial?
any question about sex
What does the author believe one can only do in a highly controversial subject?
show how one came to hold whatever opinion one does hold
Study Notes
The Author's Task
- The author is asked to speak about "Women and Fiction"
- The title "Women and Fiction" might mean women's power of creating fiction, or fiction written by women, or fiction that addresses women's lives and experiences
The Author's Perspective
- The author believes she would never be able to come to a conclusion due to the complexity of the topic
- Initially, the words "women and fiction" seemed to mean women's ability to write fiction
The Author's Thought Process
- The author starts thinking about the meaning of "women and fiction" while walking in an Oxbridge college
- The first duty of a lecturer is to come to a conclusion
Women and Writing
- A woman must have a room of her own and an income to write fiction
- The author leaves unsolved the question of what a woman must have to write fiction
The Author's Promise
- The author promises to make amends for shirking the duty of coming to a conclusion by exploring the topic further
Controversy and Complexity
- When a subject is highly controversial, one can only hope to ask questions and provoke discussion
- The author suggests that "women and fiction" is a highly controversial subject
- One can only ask questions and provoke discussion in a highly controversial subject
Test your knowledge of Virginia Woolf's essay 'A Room of One's Own' with this quiz. Explore the themes, characters, and historical context of this influential work of feminist literary criticism.
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