Virginia Woolf "A Room Of One's Own" Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Mary Benton[1] was requested to speak about “women and literature” She broadened this general topic by raising the question “What does a woman need to be creative?” She put the utmost importance on the fact that a woman had to have sufficient money and her own room to be able to be creative, at least.

In the first chapter she mentioned two incidences which perhaps occurred to women continuously to hamper their creativity. She strolled through the Garden of Oxbridge University[2] and was busy contemplating the destiny of a little fish when she entered the lawn in an onrush of creativity. At the very moment raised a man and blocked her way. His face showed dismay and indignation. At first she could not understand his gestures, but then her reason helped her. He was the janitor and she was a women. The green was only allowed for fellows and scholars. A woman’s place was the path. She returned to the pebbles and her creative thoughts were gone.

A little bit afterwards she contemplated the handwriting of a poem by John Milton[3] and remembered that the original was being kept in the local library. She opened the door and instantly appeared a friendly old man like a guardian angel to prevent her from entering. He informed her that she was only allowed to step in if she possessed a credential or were accompanied by a fellow.

Mary Benton went enraged down the stairs, firmly determined to ask for hospitality never again. To prevent herself from further unpleasant surprises she did not even want to walk into the university church. Contemplating about these occurrences the narrator raised the question why men and women are treated so differently.

Looking at the walls she realized the tremendous amounts of money required to build and maintain these premises. These funds were provided by men. The adjacent women’s college Fernham[4] she was invited to, appeared by contrast plain and simple. Referring to the history of origin Mary Benton told her friend that in the year 1860 it was almost impossible for women to raise the required funds (30.000 pounds) for the building and equipment. There was no money for further comfort.

Both women were filled with indignation about the miserable poorness of their gender.
What have done their mothers that they were unable to leave their daughters any assets?
Were they only powdering their noses?

Her friend’s mother e. g. gave birth to thirteen children. To make a fortune and to raise thirteen children was impossible to manage for any human being. Apart form that, only since the enactment of the women’s property Acts (1870 and 1882) a married woman is allowed possessing her own property.

Referring to her two personal experiences in Oxbridge, Mary Benton found it embarrassing to be locked out but at the end of chapter 1 she considered how much worse it would be to be locked up. She started thinking about one gender’s security and prosperity by putting up the other’s poorness and uncertainty, the effects of tradition or the lack of tradition.

[1] Mary Benton is a figure in the Scottish ballade of the four Marys
[2] Oxbridge is composed of Cambridge and Oxford.
[3] John Milton (1608-1674) wrote the poem Lycidas referring to the death of his friend.
[4] Fernham is composed of Girton and Newnham