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The Legacy PDF
The Legacy PDF
The Legacy PDF
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Virginia Woolf s
"The Legacy"
Ann Lavine
The first time I taught Virginia Woolf's short story accepts the brooch Angela intended for her but
"The Legacy" I knew I had found a good way to declines the financial assistance Gilbert extends,
introduce Woolf to high school students. Imme- instead offering him help if he should need it.
diately after we finished the story, the class was After Sissy's departure, Gilbert begins to read
divided into two distinct groups--one group sym- Angela's diary. He randomly picks up volumes
pathized with one of the two main characters and from the beginning of their marriage and is
viewed the other as villainous while the second pleased to see all the referencesto himself and his
group espoused the reverse. I knew we were on career. As he progresses through the volumes he
our way to comprehending one of Woolf's under- notes that his name appears less frequentlywhile
lying beliefs about fiction, namely, that it should the initials B. M. enter and occur more and more
not present reality as absolute and neatly package- frequently. As he reads, he learns that B. M.
able but rather it should try to present it as it is comes from the lower classes, discussed politics
subjectively experienced by individuals. In her with Angela, and visits her while she is alone. In
essay "Modern Fiction," Woolf explains that "life the final volumeGilbertreads that B. M. requests
is not a series of gig-lamps symmetrically some behaviorfrom Angela which she is not will-
arranged; life is a luminous halo, a semi-transpar- ing to do. Near the end of the diary Angela writes,
ent envelope surrounding us from the beginning "He threatened that if I did not .... " but then
of consciousness to the end" (Woolf, 1967, p. 106). the remainderof the page is crossed out. Gilbert
The task of the writer, according to Woolf, is to assumes B. M. asked Angela to become his mis-
render this reality in all its "aberration and com- tress. He remembers that Sissy's brother died
plexity" (Woolf, 1967, p. 106); our task as readers unexpectedly only a few weeks before Angela's
is not to look simply for symmetrically arranged death and calls Sissy to confirm B. M.'s identity.
gig-lamps. The story ends then with Gilbert telling us that
"The Legacy" is told entirely from the perspec- "he had received his legacy.She had told him the
tive of Gilbert Clandon, a somewhat successful truth. She had stepped off the kerb to rejoin her
politician whose wife Angela has recently died. As lover.She had stepped off the kerbto escape from
the story opens, Gilbert is perplexed about Ange- him."
la's actions before her accidental death. She had The group of students who believed Gilbert
arranged small gifts for all of her friends almost had been wronged saw Angela as deceitful and
as if she knew she were going to die. No gift is left adulterousand Gilbert as loyal and generous. In
expressly for Gilbert, but he thinks she may have contrast, the students who sympathized with
intended him to have the fifteen-volume diary she Angela viewedGilbertas patronizingand self-cen-
kept during their marriage. Gilbert's thoughts are tered. Furthermore, they were convinced that
interrupted by the arrival of Sissy Miller, Angela's Angela was forced to find intimacy elsewhere. I
long-time friend and secretary. Visibly upset, Sissy wouldlike not only to propose a third wayof read-
74 English Journal
February 1986 75
76 English Journal
February 1986 77
78 English Journal