Virginia Woolf was a really complex person, and it is
reflected in “The Mark on the Wall.” I read the quick biography on Woolf before
I read the passage and she, like many other authors we’ve read, had a pretty
awful life. In the biography, it says her older brother sexually abused her and
her mother died when she was young. She was bisexual and sexuality is a topic
found in her works. On page 1099 Woolf writes, “Indeed, it is curious how
instinctively one protects the image of oneself from idolatry or any other
handling that could make it ridiculous…” I think this thought is important to
Woolf because she is so different, but she lived in a world where what other
people think of you is more important than what you think of yourself. Being
bisexual, Woolf was probably viewed differently and she most likely understood
that the world isn’t accepting of people who are different. In these lines, she
is contemplating why we are so worried about our self-image and why it is an
instinctive thing to do.
The idea of
“looking-glass” self is reiterated in the next lines. On page 1099 Woolf
writes, “Or is it not so very curious after all? Suppose the looking-glass
smashes, the image disappears, and the romantic figure…is there no longer…”
These lines are significant because Woolf is letting us into her thought
process, a narrative mode called stream-of-consciousness. In sociology, the
looking-glass self is literally defined as ourselves the way others see us. Our
looking-glass self is very precious to us and that is why people instinctively
worry about what others think of them. Woolf is purposely letting us see her
thought process so that we can come to the conclusion with her. The conclusion
is that what people fear the most is people seeing who they truly are.
What are the advantages of using a stream-of-consciousness
narrative mode?
Do you think that Woolf personally cared about what other
people thought of her?
I am glad you took a look at the biography. She was a complex and very interesting person certainly and that complexity is reflected in her prose. Perhaps some of her personal struggles with depression and identity will be reflected in the piece today.
ReplyDeleteKate,
ReplyDeleteThis blog post was very analytical and focused. I liked how you used such small pieces of info and not just plot to write your post about. I think it is interesting how you believe that she is purposely talking about the way she is viewed. Maybe she wrote that way so she could avoid people criticizing her for her sexuality or characteristics that are out of the norm. I think the stream of consciousness is an advantage in this short story because it shows what actually goes through her head instead of some crap thoughts that make others feel differently about her. She seems to be all about being genuine in her thoughts and not leading someone astray, so the use of this stream of consciousness lets us glimpse into how she actually thinks.