It seems fit to start this page with Virginia Woolf. I hope this time I stuck to it and continue blogging about books. In the past I have shown myself to be easily distracted, so let's see how this time goes.
In any case, as I was saying, Virginia Woolf seems the best way to start a blog. And why? Because "A Room of One's Own" and "Three Guineas" are, probably, some of the best non-fiction work ever done in English. In particular "Three Guineas" is in a league of its own (it probably has its own room there).
And why are those two works so important? Because of their relevance to the world we live in. Many of the arguments Woolf uses are still very much relevant, and we still need to look on our own shortcomings and the mistakes we make if we want to change anything at all.
When I was doing some research into masculinities (the things one has to do in their life; kidding, it is actually very interesting) one name kept popping in many of the articles I was reading: Virginia Woolf. And one of her works: "Three Guineas". Curiously, I never got to read it while writing my essay, but when I found it in the library my hands took it before I had noticed.
And what can I say? It was the best decision I have taken in respect of a book since my never very obedient hands took "Dune" from a similar self almost twenty years ago. Because "Three Guineas" (and to a lesser extent "A Room of One's Own") are magnificent.
Let's start with a "A Room of One's Own". Here Woolf talks about the need of having your own space to be free and be able to develop your own ideas. She is talking about women writers, but it could be about anyone. Her line of thought is as follows: if you have to take care of others, cook for others, or if you don't have your own money to do with it as you wish then you are not independent, and even your ideas are imprisoned and become slaves to the one that holds the power over your life. It is pretty easy to see how having to depend economically on others will limit your freedom of speech and of thinking (let me use the word freedom here, even if Woolf pokes fun at it more than once). It is also easy to see how if you have to cook for others (who are not cooking), wash for others (who are not washing), etc. etc. you won't be able to write what those others who have so much free time on their hands can write (or travel, read, see...). It is a very interesting read, with lots of information, eye-opening and easy to follow.
But if "A Room of One's Own" does a great job in introducing the reader to those ideas, "Three Guineas" obliterates any discourse around power, masculinity-femininity and war (and much more) and now I understand why it was so important for me to read it. In here she relates patriarchy, power, nationalism, and much, way much more in a text with so much 'power' that will leave the reader breathless. It is relentless in its explanation of the 'civilized' world shortcomings and how easily we fall into believing that some things (that curiously give us power) are right and 'natural'. It is just impressive how she plays on dress codes, the relation between men, power and nationalism or how she points to us how similar are the laws, rules and words all that want to keep in power use (be them dictators or fathers). Ironically, her message of becoming an outsider seems to have been forgotten. She criticizes (and rightly so) how much money and interest is put into sports and awards and titles and how those things are things of men and power. However, instead of taking her advice we have done the opposite and now we have also awards, titles and women competitions. More than ever. Woolf is saying that we shouldn't compete so much. Instead, nowadays (in everyday life) there is more competition than ever (from likes on social networking to olympic games, including books or movies). And she warns of women playing the same role that men play, and that they should try a different way to do things. It seems no one was listening. That's why I wonder how she would react to words like "women also kick...". Maybe she would change it to "no one should kick nothing". I would, at least. But, hey, I am a pacifist.
Her style here is great, even if long-winded and repetitive and there is so much sarcasm (in the text and the notes) that can be felt from meters away. It is also very interesting to see Woolf's constant 'attacks' on the word 'feminism' and other words with power that seem to have a hard time to stop dominating the general discourse, becoming more important that what should be the center of attention. It should not be forgotten, of course, that she was not allowed to many of the things she criticizes, and that influences a discourse (she centers on topics close to her and there is not much talk about colonialism or England's role in violence; we had to wait to, for example, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw to read about the double oppression non-white women suffer). Of course, this two stories where written way before second or third waves of feminism, before the work of bell hooks or others developed many of the ideas and shortcomings of the movement. In particular how the first waves had been particularly 'mono-colour'. Nevertheless it is something global, as the Japanese book I am reading right now: ”姉妹” ("Sisters"), show: the book talks about women in Japan and how a couple of sisters grow up. Many of the things Woolf talks about appear in the book (from the father being angry at her younger daughter wanting to do 'men's work' to the subtle ways control is exercised on the other. And it is surprising the way many of the topics Woolf touches seem to be still very relevant nowadays. It is hilarious (and scary) how much of what she says could be written today and no one would raise an eyebrow or be surprised. Of course, some of the vocabulary is date and it is also possible to feel some anger in her words, even if they are correct.
And what can I say? It was the best decision I have taken in respect of a book since my never very obedient hands took "Dune" from a similar self almost twenty years ago. Because "Three Guineas" (and to a lesser extent "A Room of One's Own") are magnificent.
Let's start with a "A Room of One's Own". Here Woolf talks about the need of having your own space to be free and be able to develop your own ideas. She is talking about women writers, but it could be about anyone. Her line of thought is as follows: if you have to take care of others, cook for others, or if you don't have your own money to do with it as you wish then you are not independent, and even your ideas are imprisoned and become slaves to the one that holds the power over your life. It is pretty easy to see how having to depend economically on others will limit your freedom of speech and of thinking (let me use the word freedom here, even if Woolf pokes fun at it more than once). It is also easy to see how if you have to cook for others (who are not cooking), wash for others (who are not washing), etc. etc. you won't be able to write what those others who have so much free time on their hands can write (or travel, read, see...). It is a very interesting read, with lots of information, eye-opening and easy to follow.
But if "A Room of One's Own" does a great job in introducing the reader to those ideas, "Three Guineas" obliterates any discourse around power, masculinity-femininity and war (and much more) and now I understand why it was so important for me to read it. In here she relates patriarchy, power, nationalism, and much, way much more in a text with so much 'power' that will leave the reader breathless. It is relentless in its explanation of the 'civilized' world shortcomings and how easily we fall into believing that some things (that curiously give us power) are right and 'natural'. It is just impressive how she plays on dress codes, the relation between men, power and nationalism or how she points to us how similar are the laws, rules and words all that want to keep in power use (be them dictators or fathers). Ironically, her message of becoming an outsider seems to have been forgotten. She criticizes (and rightly so) how much money and interest is put into sports and awards and titles and how those things are things of men and power. However, instead of taking her advice we have done the opposite and now we have also awards, titles and women competitions. More than ever. Woolf is saying that we shouldn't compete so much. Instead, nowadays (in everyday life) there is more competition than ever (from likes on social networking to olympic games, including books or movies). And she warns of women playing the same role that men play, and that they should try a different way to do things. It seems no one was listening. That's why I wonder how she would react to words like "women also kick...". Maybe she would change it to "no one should kick nothing". I would, at least. But, hey, I am a pacifist.
Her style here is great, even if long-winded and repetitive and there is so much sarcasm (in the text and the notes) that can be felt from meters away. It is also very interesting to see Woolf's constant 'attacks' on the word 'feminism' and other words with power that seem to have a hard time to stop dominating the general discourse, becoming more important that what should be the center of attention. It should not be forgotten, of course, that she was not allowed to many of the things she criticizes, and that influences a discourse (she centers on topics close to her and there is not much talk about colonialism or England's role in violence; we had to wait to, for example, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw to read about the double oppression non-white women suffer). Of course, this two stories where written way before second or third waves of feminism, before the work of bell hooks or others developed many of the ideas and shortcomings of the movement. In particular how the first waves had been particularly 'mono-colour'. Nevertheless it is something global, as the Japanese book I am reading right now: ”姉妹” ("Sisters"), show: the book talks about women in Japan and how a couple of sisters grow up. Many of the things Woolf talks about appear in the book (from the father being angry at her younger daughter wanting to do 'men's work' to the subtle ways control is exercised on the other. And it is surprising the way many of the topics Woolf touches seem to be still very relevant nowadays. It is hilarious (and scary) how much of what she says could be written today and no one would raise an eyebrow or be surprised. Of course, some of the vocabulary is date and it is also possible to feel some anger in her words, even if they are correct.
The book also contains an introduction by Michèle Barrett, an excellent introduction that helps the reader to be acquainted with Woolf's world and work and it is not one of those black and white introduction that seem a love letter to the writer, but an in deep look that raises interesting questions.
It had been years since I had had so much fun reading a book that also made me think. I am against the word 'compulsory' when it comes to anything (of course, we need to take some medicines, and sleep, etc., etc.), but if there was a list of text that should be read and talked about in school, "Three Guineas" (and to a lesser extent "A Room of One's Own") should be in it.
Bibliography: (Because, you know, some people need it; kidding, sometimes it helps to get more info)
Crenshaw, K. W. (1991) Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color, Stanford Law Review, 43 (6), 1241-1299.
No comments:
Post a Comment