Title: A Room of Ones Own
Author: Virginia Woolf
Date of Publication: 20 C.
Although this critique might be viewed as academic suicide, I shall plunge headfirst and hope that the branches of tolerance break my fall. I do not like A Room of Ones Own. I understand the concept of stylized writing, but the content of the book does nothing to draw in the reader. Certainly, Woolf’s mastery in writing should be applauded on its merit; however, I am not progressed far enough in my education to fully appreciate Woolf’s subtleties. There is nothing in A Room of One’s Own that remains once the book is closed, although the pages are full of wonderful ideas. The presentation of these ideas; however, are uninteresting and handled in a very preachy manner. It is my opinion that such revolutionary ideas should have been shot forth from a canon rather than whispered in a library.
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Title: “Intelligent Wickedness”
Author: William Lloyd Garrison
Date of Publication: 19th C.
The writing of William Lloyd Garrison is a hornet sting to the sensitive flesh of the 19th Century male. His argument is sound, his wording concise, and his message clear. This is an author after my own heart. “Intelligent Wickedness” points the finger of blame and shakes it furiously in the face of ignorance. Clearly, any class studying the womans movement should be familiarized with this writing.
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Title: “Aint I a Woman?”
Author: Sojourner Truth
Date of Publication: 19th C.
Sojourner Truth puts a nation on her knee and tells them a story, the story of being a woman. Ms. Truth’s no nonsense, down home wisdom speaks volumes more than the most over analyzed, over educated tomes of wisdom collecting dust on bookshelves all across academic America. Sometimes, there is no room for grammar and syntax, only room for truth. I was moved by Ms. Truth’s eloquent and heartwarming speech and only wish to aspire to one day move others as she moved me.
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Title: Canterbury Tales
Author: Geoffrey Chaucer
Date of Writing: 1380s (left unfinished and published posthumously)
“The Canterbury Tales” shovels opinions and morals down the throats of its readers through its coarse, yet entertaining, style. Written in a language which could be appreciated by the common folk, The Canterbury Tales are truly the tales of the people. Chaucer looks at his characters in the harsh light of reality insinuating their character through their physical descriptions and likes and dislikes. He does not sermonize on their characters, yet manages to expose some as the hypocrites they are. The prioress, although portrayed as a compassionate woman, is also portrayed as a hypocrite in her position by her love of the courtly virtues. Through the Prioress tale we see her as an anti-Semite, which is in contrast with the portrayal of her as a woman of compassion. Perhaps her only feelings of compassion are toward animals and small children. To understand Chaucer’s time is made much easier through the reading of these tales.
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