Professions for Women" by Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
The essay "Professions for Women" is written by an English author. Virginia Woolf, who was born in 1882 and passed away in 1941, is addressing a group of women seeking employment in a field that is predominately male. She discusses the struggle faced by all female writers to defy social expectations of women as pure, conservative, and mindless sycophants. Virginia Woolf was able to break this mental barrier, though it was extremely difficult, in order to incorporate her voice into her writing. Woolf asserts that it is critical to consider the implications of all of this as women enter the workforce, to consider how they should conduct themselves professionally, and to investigate the unique perspectives that women will need to bring to their employment.
In her conclusion, the author poses some
inevitable issues for upcoming generations of female writers, including:
"You've won private spaces in the home that was formerly owned only by
men. You can pay the rent, albeit with a lot of work and effort. However, this
freedom is merely the start; although the room is your own, it is still empty.
It must be furnished, furnished, furnished, and shared." How will those
ladies use their newfound freedom? To whom will they wish to divulge it? These
women will ponder these topics for the first time in history and are allowed to
respond any way they see fit.