Podcast
Questions and Answers
What did Virginia Woolf do in her mid-teens?
What did Virginia Woolf do in her mid-teens?
- Took a lease on a house in Brunswick Square
- Worked in the Civil Service
- Traveled to Europe
- Filled copybooks with original compositions (correct)
Where did Virginia Woolf and her family live initially?
Where did Virginia Woolf and her family live initially?
- Brunswick Square
- Clifford's Inn, Fleet Street
- Hyde Park (correct)
- Ceylon
Who occupied the bottom apartment in Virginia's house in Brunswick Square?
Who occupied the bottom apartment in Virginia's house in Brunswick Square?
- Adrian Stephens
- James Russell Lowell
- Maynard Keynes and Duncan Grant (correct)
- Leonard Woolf
Why did Leonard Woolf resign from the Civil Service?
Why did Leonard Woolf resign from the Civil Service?
What did Virginia and Leonard do on the day Virginia agreed to marry him?
What did Virginia and Leonard do on the day Virginia agreed to marry him?
Where did Virginia and Leonard move to after their honeymoon?
Where did Virginia and Leonard move to after their honeymoon?
What was Virginia working on during the day after her honeymoon?
What was Virginia working on during the day after her honeymoon?
Where did Virginia and Leonard dine in the evenings?
Where did Virginia and Leonard dine in the evenings?
What was Sir Leslie Stephen's profession?
What was Sir Leslie Stephen's profession?
Who was Virginia's father married to before?
Who was Virginia's father married to before?
What did Virginia inherit from her mother?
What did Virginia inherit from her mother?
What was Virginia's physical appearance like?
What was Virginia's physical appearance like?
What did Henry James think about the Stephen girls when they were children?
What did Henry James think about the Stephen girls when they were children?
What did Virginia's father's dominance prevent her from doing?
What did Virginia's father's dominance prevent her from doing?
Who did Virginia marry?
Who did Virginia marry?
How did Virginia educate herself?
How did Virginia educate herself?
Study Notes
Virginia Woolf's Early Life
- Virginia Woolf was born on January 25, 1882, to Sir Leslie Stephen, a renowned literary critic, and his second wife.
- Her father was 50 years old at the time of her birth and had three children from his previous marriage.
- Virginia's mother, a widow, brought three children of her own into the marriage, making the Stephen family a blended one.
Family Dynamics
- Sir Leslie Stephen was a dominant figure in the family, which Virginia believed would have prevented her from producing creative work if he had lived longer.
- Virginia inherited her father's passion for books and her mother's classic Greek beauty.
- The Stephen children, including Thoby, Vanessa, Virginia, and Adrian, were a closely-knit group.
Early Interests and Education
- Virginia was frail and stayed at home, educating herself using her father's library.
- She began writing original compositions in her mid-teens, imitating different literary styles.
Adulthood and Relationships
- Virginia moved out of the family home in Hyde Park after her parents' death and took a lease on a large house in Brunswick Square.
- She rented the top floor to Leonard Woolf, who would later become her husband.
- Virginia's unconventional lifestyle, including living with her brother and friends, was considered daring for a young woman at the time.
Marriage to Leonard Woolf
- Leonard Woolf proposed to Virginia in 1911, but she was initially reluctant to accept.
- He resigned from the Civil Service to pursue her, and they eventually married after a leisurely courtship.
- The couple spent their honeymoon traveling through France, Spain, and Italy before settling in London.
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Description
Explore the early life and family dynamics of Virginia Woolf, a renowned English author. Learn about her parents, Sir Leslie Stephen and his second wife, and the blended Stephen family.
