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July 17, 1997
Dear Dorothy,
I feel like I know better now that you have presented The Voyage Out. By the way, you and your group have done an excellent job in presenting the novel. It is such a page turner and such a good story, that I did not take the time to step back and really think about some of the issues and themes at work in the novel, but your group has helped me do just that. Thanks! Unlike a book like Mrs. Dalloway or The Waves, TVO can be read on a "fun" level, having its surface enjoyed without making a "voyage out" to the dense material that makes the book remarkable.
The beauty of the dense material is that it can be so ambiguous. For example, you were struck by the notion of Rachel as a victim of sexual abuse by her father. I am never quite convinced of this, but I am never unconvinced either. Some of Rachel's behaviors and actions support that she is a victim, but I never can pinpoint exactly what she is a victim of -- a sheltered life?, domestic violence?, sexual abuse?, something else?, or a combination? Seeing her as a victim of sexual abuse does enrich one's reading of the novel. Seeing her as a person immature in the social, educational , cultural area is another. Each way of reading makes me aware of different things about the novel, especially the way in which characters react. For example, when Willoughby puts his arm around his daughter, the action seems much more troubling when I think of Rachel as a victim of sexual abuse. These multiple perspectives in the novel relate back to Dr. Norman's outside reading report on Jane Marcus's idea of "still practice." We have to "read" things into the novel that are not explicitly there. Woolf was such an artist that she deftly left ambiguity in her novels to allow for multiple readings. I don't think that I will ever have the same reaction to the novel or its characters each time I read TVO, making me want to read it again!
Your last question in your letter is one I could write for pages on and never come to a simple "nugget" of knowledge. I guess Woolf had the same trouble in A Room of One's Own in her attempt to discuss women and fiction. Being a Women's Studies minor, you can be assured that I have opinions on the "ageless battle between men and women regarding equality." First of all, people mean many different things by the word "equality." Some mean same pay, same opportunities, same education, etc. This view implies that standards are neutral, but often this neutrality is inherently male. For example, men and women can have an equal start in a job, but a man does not have to contend so much with the possibility of falling out of that employment loop due to pregnancy or raising a family. Women can lose years of work experience and in a way be penalized for it. Pregnancy, according to the law, is still viewed as a disability! So I become queasy sometimes at the word "equality" because it can still be used as a way to suppress. We have made progress since Woolf's day; look at the educational opportunities now available for women. In many ways, women writers are the majority in making significant contributions to literature today. Toni Morrison is arguably the most important writer of this generation. I think Woolf in many ways would be pleased. She should because her influence is still so strong. I apologize for spending so much time with your question and never coming to an answer. Someday I hope to find one. In the meantime, if you find one or have one, please let me know!
Thoughtfully,
Jason
Dorothy's Letter