Virginia Woolf’s seminal work, “Shakespeare’s Sister”, leaves the avid readers mesmerized with the exudation of the sheer imagery in unison with the hard-hitting content that stirs one to the very core of the heart. This patriarchal society has surely left no stone unturned to subjugate the women folks of the society. As such, innumerable creative minds might have succumbed to the onus of the society. They might have embraced subjugation in societal institutions of marriage. They might have subdued their creative zeal and skills embracing the role of a mother to the children and nothing else. Indeed, if one scrutinizes in retrospect, the number of female authors in the entire history of English literature is much lesser in comparison to the number of males who have made a mark as authors all across the globe in all these years.
However, the female self is not one to be contained by the constrictions imposed by the society with all its impetus. The patriarchic family, the religion, the social practices all come together to hold her back while the males flourish and prosper in their lives. But, with time, females have truly gathered the grit and strength of character to come forward and raise their voice against the subjugation. The same essence is seen in the imaginary character of William Shakespeare’s sister in the writing by Woolf. The women folks of the society are no less than the males. They have to come together and establish their equal status in the society so that they are not discriminated and subjugated by anyone. Creative skill or aesthetic quintessence is not something that is gender specific. Rather, the intricate mind of a woman can actually be the best abode to nurture the creative thoughts that have the potential to leave an everlasting mark in the minds of a gazillion readers of literature.
Survey Questions
Is your favorite author a male or a female?
If asked, can you name more female authors or male authors whom you are aware of?
Is there a commonality of theme in the writings of the female authors you know about?
Are there more texts by male authors in you academic discourse than the works of female authors? If so, what might be the reason according to you?
