Virginia Woolf Professions For Women
Novelist Virginia Woolf in 1931 delivered a talk on “Professions for Women” about women in the workforce. Woolf utilizes extended metaphors, anaphora, questions, and personal anecdotes, throughout her speech. In hopes of reaching out to women to find their inner ability to break society’s impression of what a women is, she uses a reflective and encouraging tone towards the Women’s Service League. During the 1930s which is when this talk was projected, about one fourth of women in America were in the workforce fortunately not decreasing from the depression. Even though at the time this was a good amount of women working, they deserved better. Many women aspired to be more than a house wife and show their worth in society.
One of the main concepts …show more content…
“Had I not killed her she would have killed me. She would have plucked the heart out of my writing.” …show more content…
She tells a story about when she was younger to showcase her struggles from the beginning. “But to tell you my story- it is a simple one…” By providing a portrait of her younger self, she encourages her audience to revisit when they were once young and what they had hoped for themselves in the world. Also, describing herself in the third person makes it easier for the audience to not only imagine the description, but also put themselves in the shoes of the younger Woolf. The women are left with the reflection of where they have began and where they want to be. Woolf has created a call for action to all women wanting to be something like herself. As she has spoke she has portrayed herself as an excellent role model for this women’s movement and appeals to ethos by establishing credibility through the ancetote, not only by being a women but also taking a stand herself. She talks about how she became a journalist, not only putting the envelope in the red box, but also experiencing the want for a change in her life. She has a put a personal touch in her speech to increase the level of trust the women have within their role model. Incorporating personal anecdote also make the speech conversational throughout all women, not just ones present for the speech. This increases the conversation of not only what Woolf has accomplished but furthering the women
One of the main concepts …show more content…
“Had I not killed her she would have killed me. She would have plucked the heart out of my writing.” …show more content…
She tells a story about when she was younger to showcase her struggles from the beginning. “But to tell you my story- it is a simple one…” By providing a portrait of her younger self, she encourages her audience to revisit when they were once young and what they had hoped for themselves in the world. Also, describing herself in the third person makes it easier for the audience to not only imagine the description, but also put themselves in the shoes of the younger Woolf. The women are left with the reflection of where they have began and where they want to be. Woolf has created a call for action to all women wanting to be something like herself. As she has spoke she has portrayed herself as an excellent role model for this women’s movement and appeals to ethos by establishing credibility through the ancetote, not only by being a women but also taking a stand herself. She talks about how she became a journalist, not only putting the envelope in the red box, but also experiencing the want for a change in her life. She has a put a personal touch in her speech to increase the level of trust the women have within their role model. Incorporating personal anecdote also make the speech conversational throughout all women, not just ones present for the speech. This increases the conversation of not only what Woolf has accomplished but furthering the women