Do you need your own room to be a great writer?
Woolf claims that "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." I viewed this quote as a larger metaphor; not just a physical room, but instead, a 'room' or a place of any sort that a writer can feel comfortable or inspired to write. In this sense, the writer creates the room. In Gilman's story, however, it's different. Whereas Woolf believes every woman should have a room, Gilman's character is given a room, but she doesn't even want it. The narrator dislikes everything about the room, and states that she "should hate [herself] if she must stay in the room. Yet, as time goes on, her feelings about the room, specifically the wallpaper change. "I'm getting really fond of the room in spite of the wallpaper. Perhaps because of the wallpaper." Her writing becomes almost obsessive about the wallpaper; it becomes the only thing she even writes about. Unlike Woolf's story, where the writer can choose whatever sort of 'room' she wants, Gilman's story has the room creating the writer.
This brings me back to my original question: Do you need a room of your own to be a great writer? Gilman's character did have a room of her own, and because of it she was able to write very well. And yet, perhaps it's not the room itself that inspires her, but instead, it's the wallpaper that draws motivation and encourages her muse. If she can find inspiration in the wallpaper, she can find inspiration in anything. If this is true, then the room becomes irrelevant again. Gilman's narrator almost strengthens Woolf's claim that a writer needs a 'room"; room still being a metaphor for anything and anywhere a writer wishes the write. it's not the room that inspired the writer, and I think this can be easily mixed up' it's the wallpaper. The concept of needing a room becomes extraneous because inspiration can be found anywhere, not just inside a physical room; it can be found in a park with children playing, or with the breeze blowing through the trees. it just depends on the writer, and that's why I believe the writer creates the room.
Woolf claims that "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." I viewed this quote as a larger metaphor; not just a physical room, but instead, a 'room' or a place of any sort that a writer can feel comfortable or inspired to write. In this sense, the writer creates the room. In Gilman's story, however, it's different. Whereas Woolf believes every woman should have a room, Gilman's character is given a room, but she doesn't even want it. The narrator dislikes everything about the room, and states that she "should hate [herself] if she must stay in the room. Yet, as time goes on, her feelings about the room, specifically the wallpaper change. "I'm getting really fond of the room in spite of the wallpaper. Perhaps because of the wallpaper." Her writing becomes almost obsessive about the wallpaper; it becomes the only thing she even writes about. Unlike Woolf's story, where the writer can choose whatever sort of 'room' she wants, Gilman's story has the room creating the writer.
This brings me back to my original question: Do you need a room of your own to be a great writer? Gilman's character did have a room of her own, and because of it she was able to write very well. And yet, perhaps it's not the room itself that inspires her, but instead, it's the wallpaper that draws motivation and encourages her muse. If she can find inspiration in the wallpaper, she can find inspiration in anything. If this is true, then the room becomes irrelevant again. Gilman's narrator almost strengthens Woolf's claim that a writer needs a 'room"; room still being a metaphor for anything and anywhere a writer wishes the write. it's not the room that inspired the writer, and I think this can be easily mixed up' it's the wallpaper. The concept of needing a room becomes extraneous because inspiration can be found anywhere, not just inside a physical room; it can be found in a park with children playing, or with the breeze blowing through the trees. it just depends on the writer, and that's why I believe the writer creates the room.
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