Juan David Melo Cadena

Professor Lori Watts

ENGL 1301

29, September 2023

“Professions for Women” by Virginia Woolf

Virginia Wolf, one of the most important writers of the 20th century, did not fail

to address one of the biggest issues during this time; patriarchy and women’s role in

society. Virginia provides an important insight into what the issue was experienced as

she, a victim herself, felt constricted by the culture she was living in.

As Woolf would say, every woman has an “angel in the house” who has a hold on

each one of them. This “Angel” is a constant reminder to “Be sympathetic; be tender;

flatter; deceive; use all your own. Above all be pure.” But what does this “Angel”

represent? the truth is that this idea, well described and developed by Woolf, refers to

the intellectual oppression that women got to experience. Furthermore, the “Angel” that

Woolf describes is an idea introduced by men to keep their intellectual and moral

“authority.”

This might sound like an idea that has no place in modern society, where women

have gotten to show themselves as they are, but is this accurate? Let us consider that

even though it might be easy to say that women have the same opportunities that men

do, the “Angel in the House” is still haunting men and women; “Angel in the House” has
definitely become weaker as time goes, but it is imperative to realize that it is agonizing,

yet alive.

On one hand, it is clear that women have gotten to experience thousands of

liberties and freedom in many different areas of their personal and public life. Contrary

to what it used to look like back in the 30´s, most women are highly recognized for their

achievements, and warmly appreciated for their contribution to society. Even more,

Woolf’s concern of “if women had finally achieved equality in the workplace” is

certainly a “yes.”

On the other hand, though, one might still see how some men (and some women)

are still bound to the corrupted idea that a woman has to “sacrifice herself daily…

excelled in the difficult arts of the family life.” Unfortunately, this is a “reality” for some

cultures where the female figure of women is brought down to one who ought to remain

in the house. The overall issue is still spreading as it dies.

This does not mean that all the efforts have not been fruitful though. In fact, it is

impressive and encouraging to realize that society (or at least most of it) has evolved

and understands that there is much more to offer. “Angel in the House” is just about to

be defeated as our women continue to pave their paths to success (no matter what it

might look like), and men continue to abandon the idea of a “sex-based” authority and

superiority.