Gender In Jacob's Room

Virginia Woolf explores the social intricacies of gender relations in early twentieth century England. In her novel, Jacob's Room, Woolf uses sequences of characters sketches, circulating around the figure of Jacob, as a means to analyse the roles of men and women in her contemporary society. Contrary to the stereotype of the passive woman and active man, women actively maintain household operations. In addition to the domestic sphere, Woolf examines the shifting roles women perform in the absence of men during the war. And so, through the representation of gender relations, Woolf depicts women in an active role that allows for the continued functionality of society and the narrative overall.
Although much of Jacob's Room is told from the female perspective, instances when readers are allowed access to Jacob's point of view are wrought with misogyny. From Jacob's perspective women are beautiful but stupid - a …show more content…
By depicting the gendered roles ascribed to men and women, Woolf explores the significance of female intervention in ensuring that society as well as the novel itself continues to function. Contrary to gendered stereotypes, men in Jacob's Room are depicted in passive states of intellectual pursuits, while the caregiving role typically attributed to women is exaggerated to an active role in which they dictate the behaviour of male figures and ensure the continued functionality of social norms. Beyond the plot, the perspectives of women are also structurally integral to the novel's depiction of Jacob. Therefore, Woolf depicts women in strong positions that push against the gender role ascribed to them, while still working within the realm of prevalent gendered spaces. Although not obvious, women are in positions of power - left with the entirety of society and the text hinging on their