On January 21, 1931, Virginia Woolf spoke in front of a branch of the National Society for Woman's Service as a guest speaker. Virginia was a well-known female writer in the early 1900s during the rise of Woman's Suffrage. She uses both rhetorical appeals and judicious use of figurative language fir her argument of a woman's role and her limitations in society.
At the very beginning of the speech, Virginia uses logos to convey that she began her life like many women raised in the anti-feminist times of the 10s and 20s. In the third sentence of the first paragraph, Virginia talks about her life using an anaphora; "It is true I'm a woman; It is true I am employed; but what professional have I had? (Page 1). She uses herself as a way for the audience, which is a committee of women striving for work and equality, to relate to her life and who she is. This makes the audience much more interested and invested as to what Virginia has …show more content…
Then later on in the same paragraph, Virginia begins naming other notable female writers throughout history. "For the road as cut many years ago - by Fanny Burney, by Aphra Behn, by Harriet Martineau, by Jane Austen, by George Elliot- many famous women... have been before me, making the path smooth , and regulating my steps" (Page 1). The reason why Virginia brings up those writers is to show that they have overcome their societal expectations and "paved the road" toward Woman's Suffrage and the rising counter-culture for women. Finally, she talks about how her profession of writing books and literature is a job that doesn't cause so many headaches and challenges compared to other professions. "When I came to write, there were very few materials obstacles in my way. Writing was a reputable and harmless occupation. The family peace was not broken by the scratching of a pen. No demand was made upon the family purse" (Page 1). Here, Virginia uses logic to show that
At the very beginning of the speech, Virginia uses logos to convey that she began her life like many women raised in the anti-feminist times of the 10s and 20s. In the third sentence of the first paragraph, Virginia talks about her life using an anaphora; "It is true I'm a woman; It is true I am employed; but what professional have I had? (Page 1). She uses herself as a way for the audience, which is a committee of women striving for work and equality, to relate to her life and who she is. This makes the audience much more interested and invested as to what Virginia has …show more content…
Then later on in the same paragraph, Virginia begins naming other notable female writers throughout history. "For the road as cut many years ago - by Fanny Burney, by Aphra Behn, by Harriet Martineau, by Jane Austen, by George Elliot- many famous women... have been before me, making the path smooth , and regulating my steps" (Page 1). The reason why Virginia brings up those writers is to show that they have overcome their societal expectations and "paved the road" toward Woman's Suffrage and the rising counter-culture for women. Finally, she talks about how her profession of writing books and literature is a job that doesn't cause so many headaches and challenges compared to other professions. "When I came to write, there were very few materials obstacles in my way. Writing was a reputable and harmless occupation. The family peace was not broken by the scratching of a pen. No demand was made upon the family purse" (Page 1). Here, Virginia uses logic to show that