Elements of Fiction in Virginia Woolf's Nonfiction : Dissolving the Boundaries in A Room of One's Own

Abstract

While Virginia Woolf’s use of unconventional narrative strategies in her novels is well-established, such strategies have, to a large extent, been overlooked with regards to her essays. When it comes to A Room of One’s Own, the narrative dimension has often been de-emphasised because of the important political and feminist message brought forth by Woolf’s narrator. This thesis argues that the chosen form, style, content, and argument of Woolf’s essay are inextricably linked. Coupling narratology with essay theory, the present thesis discusses the major narrative devices applied in A Room: the employment of a narrative structure, a fictional narrator, and the choice to partly rely on fiction. By asking why these strategies are crucial for the way in which the message is brought forth, the analysis shows how Woolf deconstructs the boundaries of fiction and nonfiction, connecting the strategic and argumentative facets of the text.