The Role of Female-directed Literature in Promoting Feminism

Female-directed literature has played a crucial role in the promotion of feminism, particularly during the Victorian era, a period marked by rigid gender roles and societal expectations. This essay explores how the works of Harriet Jacobs and Virginia Woolf reflect differing approaches to the ideals of purity, domesticity, and submission, while targeting a female audience. By examining these contrasting narratives, we can better understand the evolution of feminist thought and the significance of female voices in literature.

Contrasting Approaches to Feminine Ideals

During the Victorian Period, women were encouraged to embody qualities of purity, domesticity, and submissiveness (Bland, Jr. 120). Harriet Jacobs' "Life of a Slave Girl" conforms to these expectations by magnifying these attributes to evoke sympathy from her predominantly white female audience. In contrast, Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own" challenges these very ideals through irony and sarcasm, thereby critiquing the limitations placed on women's creativity and autonomy.

Targeting a Female Audience

Both Jacobs and Woolf explicitly address female readers, with Jacobs’ narrative directly appealing to them: "But, O, ye happy women, whose purity has been sheltered from childhood" (Jacobs 54). This statement underscores her intent to connect with a white, Northern female audience (Fox-Genovese 7). Jacobs employs literary English and correct grammar when representing her own voice, distinguishing herself from the enslaved individuals she describes, as illustrated in the following dialogue:

"Don't run away Linda. Your grandmother is all bowed down wid trouble now."
"I replied, 'Sally, they are going to carry my children to the plantation to-morrow; and they will never sell them to anybody so long as they have me in their power.'" (Jacobs 96)

Here, Jacobs uses correct grammar for her protagonist, Linda Brent, while employing non-standard English for other enslaved characters. This stylistic choice not only delineates her identity but also reinforces her desire to align herself with her intended audience.

Woolf's Engagement with Female Readers

Woolf, too, seeks to engage her female audience, exemplified in her rhetorical question: "What had our mothers been doing then that they had no wealth to leave us?" (Woolf 21). The inclusive pronouns "our" and "us" signal a shared experience among women, encouraging readers to reflect critically on their societal roles. Woolf's narrative technique demands an "open sisterhood," compelling her audience to engage with her ideas (Beja 158). This approach contrasts sharply with Jacobs' more conventional narrative style, highlighting the evolution of feminist thought from Jacobs' time to Woolf's.

Values of Domesticity and Purity

While Jacobs emphasizes the virtues of motherhood and domesticity, Woolf critiques them. Jacobs magnifies these ideals to resonate with her audience, stating, "when I am gone from my children they cannot remember me with such satisfaction as I remembered my mother" (Jacobs 90). This sentiment reflects the heightened sentimental value placed on motherhood in the Victorian era (Fox-Genovese 4). Jacobs' strategic portrayal of motherhood serves to create a bond with her readers, as it aligns with their values.

Conversely, Woolf mocks the ideal of domesticity, questioning the pursuits of women in her time:

"What had our mothers been doing then that they had no wealth to leave us? Powdering their noses? Looking in at shop windows?" (Woolf 21)

Woolf's sarcastic tone encourages women to reconsider the limitations imposed by traditional gender roles, asserting that economic independence is vital for creative expression.

List of Feminist Themes in Jacobs and Woolf

• Motherhood and Domesticity
• Purity and Truth
• Submissiveness and Inferiority
• Economic Independence
• Critique of Gender Roles

Table: Comparison of Literary Approaches

Conclusion

The comparative analysis of Harriet Jacobs' "Life of a Slave Girl" and Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own" reveals the distinct yet interconnected ways in which female-directed literature has contributed to the promotion of feminism. While Jacobs seeks to elicit sympathy by adhering to Victorian values, Woolf challenges these conventions, encouraging women to question their societal roles. Both authors, despite their differing approaches, highlight the importance of female voices in literature and the ongoing struggle for women's rights and recognition. Their works continue to resonate today, serving as foundational texts in the feminist literary canon.

Works Cited

Adams, Timothy Dow. Telling Lies in Modern American Autobiography. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990.

Beja, Morris. Critical Essays on Virginia Woolf. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1985.

Bland, Jr., Sterling Lecater. Voices of the Fugitives: Runaway Slave Stories and Their Fictions of Self-Creation. Westport: Praeger Publishers, 2000.

Fox-Genovese, Elizabeth. Unspeakable Things Unspoken: Ghost Memories in the Narratives of African-American Women. Jamaica: University Press, 1993.

Garfield, Debora M., and Zafar, Rafia, ed. Harriet Jacobs and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Cambridge: University Press, 1996.

Jacobs, Harriet A. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001.

Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 1989.