WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Hello all! My name is Drew Blanchette. I'm 21 years old and a class member of the Virginia Woolf Seminar. First and foremost, I must warn potential viewers that I have no knowledge of Virginia Woolf's work. I am hoping that as the class progresses and I have a chance to read her apparently fabulous works (or so I have been told) I will develop some knowledge and appreciation. As my blogs increase perhaps the reader will pick up on my progression! Hopefully whoever looks over my site will enjoy my posts and not be too bored by my analyzing attempts. Thanks ahead of time for viewing my site!



Thursday, August 26, 2010

Introduction Post

I must admit that coming into this class I feel that I am at a disadvantage. In the beginning, I had absolutely no knowledge of Virginia Woolf. Of course I had heard of her since I am somewhat involved in the literary world (being an English major and what not), but that was about as far as my knowledge went. At this point in time, I have read a biography about her and her memoir. Also, I have dipped into Jacob’s Room so that I could see her style firsthand. I was told that her style is confusing and somewhat crazy. I didn’t exactly know what that meant until I had begun my reading of Jacob’s Room. Her style does seem erratic and sometimes I didn’t understand where she was or what she was talking about.


Even so, I must admit that my first dip into the pond got me excited. Looking at all the different conferences and articles written about her and her works made me feel curious. Obviously, this woman’s talent is very profound and there is so much depth to her writing. It amazed me that there is a conference just about nature. The idea that there is a lot of dog imagery throughout her work seemed a bit strange, but it’s exciting that her work has so many small pieces.

I was surprised when I found out that there were Virginia Woolf societies. When I learned that there was a group in Japan I almost laughed. I’m happy that literature still has the power to involve so many people and bring them together from such vast distances. In today’s world, a lot of people scoff at the idea of “wasting” your money on an English major. However, just seeing these different groups that are still so inspired and involved in this woman’s work makes me realize why the study of literature is so important. The fact that Woolf’s literature has remained so important and fascinating to people all over the world emphasizes the importance of expression.

Another thing that I’m excited about learning from Woolf is the beginning of women’s freedom and suffrage. The conference on “Women Walking the City” was interesting to me because it reminded me that this was the first time in history that women could be alone and not be considered a fallen woman. For modern women, we don’t realize or relish the opportunity of independence. We forget that women of the past were essentially trapped, even when they went into public. I’m sure the newfound freedom is echoed in Woolf’s work and her experiences with it.

All in all, I’m nervous that I will miss many important points and details in Woolf’s work. She seems so intelligent and grand that I worry I won’t be intelligent enough to fully grasp her style. Even so, I plan to try, so wish me luck!

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