Abstract: Virginia Woolf’s book A Room of One’s Own is one of the most important texts of Feminist research. Based on it, and combined with others’ research results, this paper will discuss the influence of economic independence on female writing. It gives a brief introduction to A Room of One’s Own, and reaches a discussion on the economic background and living environment of Woolf and her coetaneous British females. On this basis, this thesis points out two connotations of “room”, namely economic independence and spiritual independence. Also, relations of dependence between the two are discussed. Besides, from the perspectives of male and female, this paper respectively discusses advantages and obstacles in the writing process of both sexes, and the revealed relations between economic independence and writing. In the end, it clearly indicates Woolf’s perspectiveness, which is, with the improvement of female economic status and the development of female writing, there are two trends in future’s female writing—expansion of subject matter areas and growing bisexual thinking of writers.

Key words: economic independence, female writing, feminism, Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own 

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Introduction-1

1  A Brief Introduction to A Room of One’s Own-2

1.1 Background of Virginia Woolf and British Women-2

1.1.1 Situation of Virginia Woolf-3

1.1.2 Situation of British Women in the Twentieth Century-4

1.2 General Ideas in A Room of One’s Own-5

2  Connotations of A Room of One’s Own-6

2.1 Economic Independence-7

2.2 Spiritual Independence-8

2.3 Relations Between Economic and Spiritual Independence-8

3  Economic Independence and Writing-9

3.1 Advantages of Male Writing-10

3.2 Obstacles of Female Writing-10

3.3 Female Economic Status and Female Writing-12

Conclusion-13

Bibliography-15

Acknowledgements-16