De Beauvoir And Woolf example essay topic

A Room of One's Own Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own broke new territory in suggesting that the reason there were very few acknowledged women's writers at this time was because women lead hard lives in comparison to men and that the conditions needed to produce women writers was not conducive for them at this time. Her response was that for women to write literature they must have a room of their own, both literarily and symbolically. This entailed real space and privacy for women to write in, the financial freedom to write without enduring unwanted jobs, women role models and the freedom and power to choose their own career path. Throughout this course the majority of women we have studied have had the privilege of fulfilling these requirements and thus had a room of one's own. Therefore, to be a successful female writer it is essential to have a room of one's own, although I believe that the above requirements are not all necessary and that today's room has changed.

Women's lives were made less accessible to writing because of the requirements on women. Women were the wives, cooks, cleaners and employees. Women were responsible for bearing and raising the children and because of this they were at a disadvantage to the opportunities afforded to men. Women simply did not have the time to sit down in a quite room and write and moreover, she argues that women were not allowed until very recently to gain an education parable to men's, and even this is debatable. Throughout time, Woolf argues, women have been slaves, often locked up, not free to choose their partner and frequently beaten by their husbands. Women were shut up in unwanted families that force them to become economically, psychologically and physically dependent on men.

How can women write quality literature amid these conditions? Woolf writes, Making a fortune and bearing thirteen children- no human being could stand it. Consider the facts, we said. First there are nine months before the baby is born. Then the baby is born.

After the baby is fed there are certainly five years spent playing with the baby. You cannot, it seems, let children run about the streets. (Woolf, 22) And so Woolf highlights just one aspect of women's lives here, demonstrating the amount of time and energy that women spend on mothering letting the husbands and fathers read, write and learn. Woolf argued that women did not write great literature (plays and poetry not novels) because they had been subjected to make domination, which had denied them any access to personal space, money and education.

To earn money was impossible for them, and in the second, had it been possible, the law denied them the right to posses what money they earned. (Woolf, 22) Women were not encouraged and supported to write, Woolf supports these arguments with the use of historical, political and literal figures. It is important to note Woolf is making this argument for women writers specifically but her case is applicable to any area of human culture, be it philosophy, dance, science or music. The written word has, however, molded and sculpted today's society so particular emphasis is placed on writings since the inclusion of women's voice in history means that, the adult white male can no longer be taken to represent all of humanity nor the adult white male experience to encompass all that is important to human life.

(Jaguar, 22). This was not necessarily Woolf's motivation in writing A Room of One's Own, rather, she wrote this to bring light to the practices that limits women's potential and to question what would history look like if women had not assumed these roles. Simone de Beauvoir would agree with Woolf and in actuality did have a room of her own. Her famous quote, One is not born, rather becomes, a woman, and later question, What is a woman? Dietz states that, Beauvoir's now famous quasi-Hegelian response involves positing woman as the Other to man, and as defined only in relation to and by man. She is defined and differentiated with reference to man and not he with reference to her, Beauvoir writes.

She is the incidental, the inessential as opposed to the essential. He is the Subject, he is the Absolute- she is the Other. (Dietz 326-237) This means that the social construct of femaleness and all the conditions and practices that are designed by men are used to keep women in their place. For example, society did not encourage women to become writers and made it difficult to attempt to do so because men measure themselves off of women. By keeping women in the home with children kept men in power and control. There are critiques of de Beauvoir that her, analysis of the Other has come under intense scrutiny from difference feminists who want to endorse rather than transcend female otherness and assimilate it.

(Dietz 327) And perhaps herein lies the fault of both de Beauvoir and Woolf, as they both want to reproduce an already masculine society and not challenge the existing social framework. Woolf wants to write at the level and greatness as men and makes clear that writing about mothering is not an acceptable subject. de Beauvoir condemns motherhood and women's reproductive bodies as the source of women's failure to transcend. Mothering has, historically, put pressure on women since they were always, and in most cases today still are, seen as the primary caregiver but times are changing. Nellie McClung did not see it necessary to have a room of her own. She was an adamant fighter of women's issues, increased mother's pensions, more help for unemployed women, prison reforms and home for delinquent girls. (Hallett and Davis 307) McClung was successful in changing legislature that affected women and saw motherhood as a sacred trust and the highest achievement of being a woman.

McClung is an example of one women writer who encouraged women's roles as mothers, herself included, but to also have accessibility to other opportunities such as politics. It must also be pointed out that not all women can afford the luxury of having the money, time and space to themselves to write. Woolf does not consider these women and I feel that it is important to bear in mind that the measures and practices that men use to oppress women are often used by white culture to oppress other minority cultures and by the wealthy to oppress the poor. There must be a way to facilitate the women, cultures and classes that are not given voices. I think that today's room has evolved but is still necessary. Yes, women still need their own space but does this have to be a room or can it be a spot under the tree in a park or a favorite section in the library?

Women need the opportunity of having privacy and space to themselves and also the prospect to meet with others to discuss and challenge one another. Women are the ones who bear children and this is can be seen as women's greatest creative characteristic if women challenge these preconceived ideas that motherhood is required and necessary to be a woman, rather a choice that is one method of fulfilling themselves. Can society not encourage those who want to mother and nurture to do so while also encouraging men and fathers to nurture as well? I think that in many cases we are seeing more men take responsibility in fathering so as to encourage and promote women the opportunities and time to further themselves, be it through writing or dance. Still, I remember reading a top 100 list marking the best literature pieces of the twentieth century with only eight female authors. I think that today's room of one's own must include access to education and resources, support, encouragement and consideration to aid these authors.