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