WOMEN SPACE IN WRITING

 

JANE AUSTEN, VERGINIA WOOLF AND WOMEN SPACE IN THEIR WORKS:

                             On woman writers of 18th century Virginia Woolf' said "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction". Jane Austen in her novels delineates women of her time in her best style. However, there appears many in between Hroswitha and Jane Austen. When looked ahead records become abundant. With the 'little bit of ivory' Jane Austen projects a fictional world in her novels to depict the low place of women of her time with few legal and economic rights, receiving little respect and being oppressed victims of patriarchal society.

In her essay 'A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN' Virginia Woolf' raises a question regarding woman’s writing. She asked if Shakespeare had a sister with the gifts of Shakespeare's talent. In a world where an idea existed that men were simply formed to be Shakespeare's sister's talent would have been remained unrecognized; because the doors of opportunities to develop talents were closed to women. Like all other woman she would be trapped in the home and marriage. While Shakespeare establishes himself his sister is confines herself to the expectations of women. Women during 18^th century were not allowed to have rooms of their own and were not encouraged to improve their minds. If a woman had good sense, she had to temper it to not appear smarter than the men in her circle, and if she had formal education beyond what a standard finishing school would provide, it was regarded as a shameful secret. To have a cultivated mind was to attract a “malignant eye.”A woman’s first priority in life was fringed within to secure a husband and maintain domestic felicity. Although there is a wide acceptance of women writers and novelists as well as idealist delineation of woman in fiction educated women seemed almost unacceptable in that society. As such woman writers had to hide their identity. Even Jane Austen had to publish anonymously. Her first publication, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, was signed, "By a Lady’. It appears that the society’s perception of women was largely negative. Jane Austen took it as challenge. She projects women in her novels who are different from the woman’s picture of the contemporary society as oppressed or victims of patriarchal society. She depicts the issues of education primarily through her main female characters. Throughout her six published novels, Austen allows her main characters to become educated in ways other than traditional schools. In Sense and Sensibility, Marianne learns about taste and control, and in Pride and Prejudice, accomplishments and wit serve to educate Elizabeth in her interactions in society. Fanny, in Mansfield Park, learns by example from her environment and develops a strong set of principles that allow her to make her own decision about matrimony. Emma highlights a shift in Austen’s portrayal of women, as Emma learns more about herself and the people around her through self-reflection. Emma not only marries Mr. Knightly, but defies tradition in that she remains in her own house as a married woman, and Mr. Knightly moves to join her and her father. These women ultimately gain self-knowledge throughout Austen’s novels, although each woman’s journey is different. Self-knowledge as the ultimate goal, contrasted with the perception existing in Austen’s time that marriage was a woman’s aim and anything beyond a simple education at a finishing school, repulsed potential husbands. Austen creates a universal view of women’s education that includes not only book learning, but learning from experience and environment. Women, after reflecting on their experiences, could learn more about themselves, which would enable them to make their own decisions and maintain their own power. Austen’s women demonstrated a challenge to social precepts and provided a proto-feminist picture of women. Austen wanted to not only please her readers, but also show them that a woman could learn in all aspects of life and use this knowledge to become a stronger individual. Each main female character progresses further away from social standards and the picture presented by the moralists, and closer to a representation of an autonomous woman. These women are educated in different aspects throughout their lives and learn that marriage is not the highest goal in life, but that self-knowledge gives them independence in a way that traditional education could not. Austen demonstrates in her novels that society is, in fact, changing and that women are driven more by a desire to have self-knowledge and independence instead of marrying a man of a higher class to improve their situation. Throughout these six novels, Jane Austen challenges the moralists’ views on women’s education and reveals the importance of self-awareness through a holistic education, which results in self-knowledge and a stronger sense of individuality. Her exquisite good taste in style and purpose make her novels unique. Jane Austen had special qualities and an endearing quality is her progressive nature. Her gender neutrality, ethnic sensitivity, and her relationship to nature are compatible with the best standards of today. 

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