11Profession for Women.docx

11Profession for Women.docx

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11ProfessionforWomen

ProfessionsforWomen

VirginiaWoolf

byVirginiaWoolf（1882-1941）

BorninEngland,VirginiaWoolfwasthedaughterofLeslieStephen,awell-knownscholar.Shewaseducatedprimarilyathomeandattributedherloveofreadingtotheearlyandcompleteaccessshewasgiventoherfather’slibrary.Withherhusband,LeonardWoolf,shefoundedtheHogarthPressandbecameknownasmemberoftheBloomsburygroupofintellectuals,whichincludedeconomistJohnMaynardKeynes,biographerLyttonStrachey,novelistE.M.Forster,andarthistorianCliveBell.AlthoughshewasacentralfigureinLondonliterarylife,Woolfoftensawherselfasisolatedfromthemainsstreambecauseshewasawoman.Woolfisbestknownforherexperimental,modernistnovels,includingMrs.Dalloway（1925）andTotheLighthouse（1927）whicharewidelyappreciatedforherbreakthroughintoanewmodeandtechnique--thestreamofconsciousness.Inherdiaryandcriticalessaysshehasmuchtosayaboutwomenandfiction.Her1929bookARoomofOne’sOwndocumentsherdesireforwomentotaketheirrightfulplaceinliteraryhistoryandasanessayistshehasoccupiedahighplacein20thcenturyliterature.ThecommonReader（1925firstseries;1932secondseries）hasacquiredclassicstatus.Shealsowroteshortstoriesandbiographies.“ProfessionsforWomen”takenfromThecollectedEssaysVol2.isoriginallyapaperWoolfreadtotheWomen’sServiceLeague,anorganizationforprofessionalwomeninLondon.

Whenyoursecretaryinvitedmetocomehere,shetoldmethatyourSociety（women’sserviceleague）isconcernedwiththeemploymentofwomenandshesuggestedthatImighttellyousomethingaboutmyownprofessionalexperiences.ItistruethatIamawoman;itistrueIamemployed;butwhatprofessionalexperienceshaveIhad?

Itisdifficulttosay.Myprofessionisliterature;andinthatprofessiontherearefewerexperiencesforwomenthaninanyother,withtheexceptionofthestage--fewer,Imean,thatarepeculiartowomen.Fortheroadwascutmanyyearsago---byFannyBurney（Englishnovelistanddiarywriter）,byAphraBehn（dramatist,novelist）,byHarrietMartineau（Englishwriter）,byJaneAusten,byGeorgeEliot—manyfamouswomen,andmanymoreunknownandforgotten,havebeenbeforeme,makingthepathsmooth,andregulatingmysteps.Thus,whenIcametowrite,therewereveryfewmaterialobstaclesinmyway.Writingwasareputableandharmlessoccupation.Thefamilypeacewasnotbrokenbythescratchingofapen.Nodemandwasmadeuponthefamilypurse.FortenandsixpenceonecanbuypaperenoughtowritealltheplaysofShakespeare--ifonehasamindthatway.Pianosandmodels（Thesesarethethingsnormallyneededforthetrainingorpracticeofamusicianoranartist;model:

apersonorthingthatservesasasubjectforanartistorsculptor）Paris,Vienna,andBerlin,mastersandmistresses（worldfamouscitiesofartormusic,mastersandmistresses:

highlyaccomplishedmenandwomenartistsormusicians）,arenotneededbyawriter.Thecheapnessofwritingpaperis,ofcourse,thereasonwhywomenhavesucceededaswritersbeforetheyhavesucceededintheotherprofessions.

Buttotellyoumystory--itisasimpleone.Youhaveonlygottofiguretoyourselvesagirlinabedroomwithapeninherhand.Shehadonlytomovethatpenfromlefttoright--fromteno’clocktoone.Thenitoccurredtohertodowhatissimpleandcheapenoughafterall--toslipafewofthosepagesintoanenvelope,fixapennystampinthecorner,anddroptheenvelopeintotheredboxatthecorner.ItwasthusthatIbecameajournalist;andmyeffortwasrewardedonthefirstdayofthefollowingmonth--averygloriousdayitwasforme--byaletterfromaneditorcontainingacheckforonepoundtenshillingsandsixpence.ButtoshowyouhowlittleIdeservetobecalledaprofessionalwoman,howlittleIknowofthestrugglesanddifficultiesofsuchlives,Ihavetoadmitthatinsteadofspendingthatsumuponbreadandbutter,rent,shoesandstockings,orbutcher’sbills,Iwentoutandboughtacat--abeautifulcat,aPersiancat,whichverysooninvolvedmeinbitterdisputeswithmyneighbors.

WhatcouldbeeasierthantowritearticlesandtobuyPersiancatswiththeprofits?

Butwaitamoment.Articleshavetobeaboutsomething.Mine,Iseemtoremember,wasaboutanovelbyafamousman.AndwhileIwaswritingthisreview,IdiscoveredthatifIweregoingtoreviewbooksIshouldneedtodobattlewithacertainphantom.Andthephantomwasawoman,andwhenIcametoknowherbetterIcalledheraftertheheroineofafamouspoem,TheAngelintheHouse.ItwasshewhousedtocomebetweenmeandmypaperwhenIwaswritingreviews.ItwasshewhobotheredmeandwastedmytimeandsotormentedmethatatlastIkilledher.Youwhocomeoffayoungerandhappiergenerationmaynothaveheardofher--youmaynotknowwhatImeanbyTheAngelintheHouse.IwilldescribeherasshortlyasIcan.Shewasintenselysympathetic.Shewasimmenselycharming.Shewasutterlyunselfish.Sheexcelledinthedifficultartsoffamilylife.Shesacrificedherselfdaily.Iftherewaschicken,shetooktheleg;iftherewasadraftshesatinit--inshortshewassoconstituted（broughtup,nurtured）thatsheneverhadamindorawishofherown,butpreferredtosympathizealwayswiththemindsandwishesofothers.Aboveall--Ineednotsayit--shewaspure.Herpuritywassupposedtobeherchiefbeauty--herblushes,hergreatgrace.Inthosedays--thelastofQueenVictoria--everyhousehaditsAngel.AndwhenIcametowriteIencounteredherwiththeveryfirstwords.Theshadowofherwingsfellonmypage;Iheardtherustlingofherskirtsintheroom.Directly,thatistosay,Itookmypeninmyhandtoreviewthatnovelbyafamousman,sheslippedbehindmeandwhispered:

“Mydear,youareayoungwoman.Youarewritingaboutabookthathasbeenwrittenbyaman.Besympathetic;betender;flatter;deceive;usealltheartandwiles/tricksofoursex.Neverletanybodyguessthatyouhaveamindofourown.Aboveall,bepure.”Andshemadeasiftoguidemypen.InowrecordtheoneactforwhichItakesomecredittomyself（居功）,thoughthecreditrightlybelongstosomeexcellentancestorsofminewholeftmeacertainsumofmoney--shallwesayfivehundredpoundsayear?

--sothatitwasnotnecessaryformetodependsolelyoncharmformyliving.Iturneduponherandcaughtherbythethroat.Ididmybesttokillher.Myexcuse,IfIweretobehadupinacourtoflaw,wouldbethatIactedinself-defense.HadInotkilledhershewouldhavekilledme.Shewouldhavepluckedtheheartoutofmywriting.For,asIfound,directlyIputpentopaper,youcannotreviewevenanovelwithouthavingamindofyourown,withoutexpressingwhatyouthinktobethetruthabouthumanrelations,morality,sex.Andallthesequestions,accordingtotheAngeloftheHouse,cannotbedealtwithfreelyandopenlybywomen;theymustcharm,theymustconciliate（reconcile,toregainbypleasantbehavior,theymust—toputitbluntly-—tellliesiftheyaretosucceed.Thus,wheneverIfelttheshadowofherwingortheradianceofherhalo（brightcircle）uponmypage,Itookuptheinkpotandflungitather.Shediedhard（sheclungstubbornly;sheyieldonlyafterabitterstruggle）.Herfictitiousnaturewasofgreatassistancetoher.Itisfarhardertokillaphantomthanareality.ShewasalwayscreepingbackwhenIthoughtIhaddispatchedher.ThoughIflattermyselfthatIkilledherintheend,thestrugglewassevere;ittookmuchtimethathadbetterhavebeenspentuponlearningGreekgrammar;orinroamingtheworldinsearchofadventures.Butitwasarealexperience;Itwasanexperiencethatwasboundbefallallwomenwritersatthattime.KillingtheAngelintheHousewaspartoftheoccupationofawomanwriter.

Buttocontinuemystory.TheAngelwasdead;whatthenremained?

Youmaysaythatwhatremainedwasasimpleandcommonobject--ayoungwomaninabedroomwithaninkpot.Inotherwords,nowthatshehadridherselfoffalsehood,thatyoungwomanhadonlytobeherself.Ah,butwhatis“herself”?

Imean,whatisawoman?

Iassureyou,Idonotknow.Idonotbelievethatyouknow.Idonotbelievethatanybodycanknowuntilshehasexpressedherselfinalltheartsandprofessionsopentohumanskill.ThatindeedisoneofthereasonswhyIhavecomehere--outofrespectforyou,whoareinprocessofshowingusbyyourexperimentswhatawomanis,whoareinprocessofprovidingus,byyourfailuresandsucceeded,withthatextremelyimportantpieceofinformation.

Buttocontinuethestoryofmyprofessionalexperiences.Imadeonepoundtenandsixbymyfirstreview;andIboughtaPersiancatwiththeproceeds（profit）.ThenIgrewambitious.APersiancatisallverywell,Isaid;butaPersiancatisnotenough.Imusthaveamotorcar.AnditwasthusthatIbecameanovelist--foritisaverystrangethingthatpeoplewillgiveyouamotorcarifyouwilltellthemastory.Itisastillstrangerthingthatthereisnothingsodelightfulintheworldastellingstories.Itisfarpleasanterthanwritingreviewsoffamousnovels.Andyet,ifIamtoobeyyoursecretaryandtellyoumyprofessionalexperiencesasanovelist,Imusttellyouaboutaverystrangeexperiencethatbefellmeasanovelist.Andtounderstandityoumusttryfirsttoimagineanovelist’sstateofmind.IhopeIamnotgivingawayprofessionalsecretsifIsaythatanovelist’schiefdesireistobeasunconsciousaspossible.Hehastoinduce（causetooccur）inhimselfastateofperpetuallethargy（Astateofsluggishness,inactivity,andap