2K: A Space of Her Own

Abstract

In 1929 Virginia Woolf published her classic extended essay A Room of One’s Own which became an important piece of feminist writing throughout history. She exemplifies the constant interruptions women of her time experience which in turn inhibit their processes of creativity and productivity. In her writing she declares “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” When Woolf says “a room of her own” it is usually interpreted in a literal sense that a woman needs a physical space to complete her writing. Diving deeper into this statement she could also be using the room as a metaphor of personal space. During this era in history women adhered to many rules regarding what they were allowed to do and where they were allowed to go, a stark comparison to the personal freedoms of men in this same time. Using scholarship regarding women in the progressive era and spatial metaphors, this essay will use the moments Woolf experiences lack of personal space to argue that the room she is referring to is a space that expands well beyond the physical and into a metaphorical realm, suggesting that women need personal freedoms in all aspects of life including the political, social, and educational facets in order to cultivate their own success.