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Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf. Biography. Born Virginia Stephen London, January 25, 1882 Father: Sir Leslie Stephen He was a famous scholar, critic; At one time he was the editor of the Cornhill Magazine and Dictionary of National Biography Mother: Julia Jackson

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Virginia Woolf

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  1. Virginia Woolf

  2. Biography • Born Virginia Stephen • London, January 25, 1882 • Father: Sir Leslie Stephen • He was a famous scholar, critic; • At one time he was the editor of the Cornhill Magazine and Dictionary of National Biography • Mother: Julia Jackson • She passed away when Virginia was only 12 years old.

  3. Biography • Virginia was home schooled in her father’s library where she met some of his famous friends including, G.E More and E.M Foster, John Maynard Keynes. • It is in this setting that it is said, “Virginia fell in love with literature.” • In 1912, eight years after her father’s death, Virginia married a brilliant young writer from Cambridge, England – Leonard Woolf, socialist, thinker • They were both interested in literature as well as in the labour movement and economics. • In 1917, they founded the Hogarth Press. • Their first book, Two Stories was a success, and over the next two years led them to publish other books including Prelude by Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923), Poems by T. S. Eliot (1888–1965); and Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf.

  4. Biography • Over the years, Virginia’s home in Travistock Square, Bloomsbury became a literary and art center. • Her house was frequently visited by individuals such as Arthur Waley (1889–1966), Lytton Strachey (1880–1932), Victoria Sackville-West (1892–1962), and Roger Fry (1866–1934). John Maynard Keynes (1883–1943). • This group of intellectuals became known as the “Bloomsbury Group” The Bloomsbury group was known for putting forth the “values of love and beauty as essential to life”. • Virginia Woolf began writing essays for the Times Literary Supplement. • Over the years a two-volume series of her essays was compiled it was known as The Common Reader (1925, 1933). • These essays are an indispensable asset in understanding Woolf’s direction as a novelist.

  5. Biography • Throughout her life, Woolf authored around 15 separate books. • She is most widely regarded for her use of the “stream of consciousness technique in her story “The Waves”. • Some of her famous works include Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and Jacob's Room (1922). • Her death by drowning in Lewes, Sussex, England, on March 28, 1941, has often been regarded as “a suicide brought on by the unbearable strains of life during World War II”

  6. Some of her most famous works are: Mrs. Dalloway Orlando A Room of One’s Own To the Lighthouse The Waves (stream of consciousness) Literary Works Some of her works include: The Voyage Out (1915) Night and Day (1919) Monday or Tuesday (1921) Jacob's Room (1922) Mrs. Dalloway (1925) The Common Reader (1925) Orlando (1928) A Room of One's Own (1929) The Waves (1931) Flush (1933) The Years (1937) Three Guineas (1938) Roger Fry: A Biography (1940) Between the Acts (1941) The Death of the Moth (1942) A Haunted House (1943)

  7. Gilbert Angela’s Husband Main Character Prominent Politician Never knew of an affair concerning his wife Angela The wife of Gilbert Clandon Passed away suddenly when struck by a car Kept a diary, that she never let her husband see Had a relationship with B.M. Their relationship was not known to Gilbert Committed suicide to rejoin B.M. B.M. The brother of Sissy Miller Passed away about 2 weeks before Angela Had a relationship with Angela Relationship was not known to Gilbert Sissy Miller Sister of B.M. Personal assistant to Angela Known to Gilbert and Angela as being trustworthy Aware of the relationship between B.M. and Angela Eventually explains the meaning of B.M. The LegacyCharacters

  8. Synopsis • The book starts out with Gilbert in Angela’s office. • He is going through all of Angela’s belongings that she left for her friends. • He finds it strange that everything was in such good order. He thought “it was almost as if she had forseen her death”. • The only item that Angela left for Gilbert was her diary. • “Fifteen volumes, bound in green leather” • While Angela and Gilbert were married she would never let him read it. • She left it to him as her legacy. • We then find out that Angela died by stepping off a curb and basically walking into oncoming traffic.

  9. Synopsis • Then Sissy Miller joins him in the office. She is extremely distraught by Anglea’s death. • This shows Gilbert how great of a friend she was to Angela. • She was always able to surround herself with people that were truly genuine and trustworthy. • Gilbert gives Sissy the pearl brooch that Angela left for her. • Sissy took it and said she would always keep it as a treasured possession. • Gilbert realized that Sissy was dressed in all black and remembered the Sissy’s brother had also just passed away. • He could not remember what happened to him but Gilbert knew that it had only been a week or two since he had died.

  10. Synopsis • Sissy is pondering about Angela and the close relationship they shared as she peers at the type writer and desk where they used to work and exchange secrets. • While this is going on Gilbert is wondering how Sissy is going to be able support herself without a job and asks her about her future plans, which she refuses to talk to him about. • Gilbert comes to the conclusion that he will send a letter to her about the matter because she is in a very distressed state because of Angela’s death. • Sissy is on her way out the door from visiting Gilbert when she offers her sympathies to him. • Gilbert takes this the wrong way and assumes that Sissy has loved him all along. • Gilbert than states that he would like to share Sissy’s new found crush with his dead wife which is ironic because Angela commits suicide because she cannot be with her lover B.M. whom Gilbert hasn’t a clue about.

  11. Synopsis • Gilbert then begins reading Angela’s diary and becomes very conceited about his looks when he reads that Angels wrote that he was good looking. • Gilbert is now in his own world thinking conceitedly about how wonderful he is and how wonderful others perceive him to be. • Gilbert continues reading though Angela’s diary reminiscing about the good times he and Angela spent with one another. • Years passed and Gilbert continues reading various volumes of Angela’s diary. • Angela confides in the pages of the diary her longing to have children with Gilbert and her disappointment. • Also within the passages Angela comes to Gilbert and tells him she feels useless and wants to do good works. • As Gilbert reads further into the volumes of her diaries a mystery person with the name of B.M. fills the pages of Angela’s diary and Gilbert questions who this is.

  12. Synopsis • As Gilbert continues to read Angela's diary he questions his own character and begins to develop dislike for the B.M. mystery man . • He reads where they had numerous night rendezvous and had late night dinners. Gilbert never knew this was going on and realizes that all this time he was dedicated to his work she was concerned with B.M. feelings and their affair. • It is obvious that Angela wants her husband, Gilbert, to know her legacy but continuously blotches out the pages that are most important to Gilbert. She wants him to know some stuff but not everything in detail.

  13. Synopsis • You have to keep in mind that this indeed was her diary and the memories she left behind would plague the minds of those who knew and loved her for years to come. • He comes to a conclusion that B.M. is a fictional name for a character in the Karl Marx's novel he gave to her as a gift. He reads more conversations and then the diary comes to an abrupt end. • This is a cliffhanger and it is left up for Gilbert's interpretation and now he has a flashback of Angela's suicide and it leads him to call her assistant. • He calls she answers and he ask who is the B.M. mystery man and it turns out that it was Sissy Miller's brother. • What an ending!

  14. Themes • Self-Interest • After learning of Angela’s death he begins to wonder if Sissy Miller has an interest in him. He looks himself in the mirror and pauses to admire, seeing if he is still "a very distinguished-looking man." Even while he is reading the diary, when Angela talks about a good man, he automatically thinks she is talking about him.

  15. Themes • Apathy • When she was alive did not pay much attention to her. The only thing they had in common was the diary. After Angela dies he still doesn’t appear to care that she’s gone. He only notices that she has left everyone a small trinket except him. He assumes that the diary that they often fought over is for him, “‘No, no, no,’ he could hear her say, ‘After I'm dead perhaps.’ So she had left it him, as her legacy.”

  16. Themes • A journey from illusion to reality. • The illusion that Angela had loved Gilbert and was always faithful to him, to the reality that Angela had at a time loved him but grew tired that Gilbert only cared for himself and had no more room for her in his life.

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