”A mouse is not a prophet” : Ett eget rum och kvinnor som skriver

Sammanfattning

In this thesis, I have examined the conditions and needs of the modern writing woman, primarily by reading essays grounded in feminist thought. This is done by presenting a selection of women who write and their reflections on writing and living as a woman who writes. This essay also clarifies what an essay is, and how feminism can be defined. A brief background is provided on Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, as it forms the basis for the idea behind the essay and serves as inspiration for the work. By writing a literary experiment in form of a personal essay inspired by one of the pioneers of feminist essayistic writing, Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, the form and possibilities of the feminist essay have been turned inside out and, in the true spirit of the essay, taken down small paths of contemplation and reflection. This essay asks what needs the modern writing woman have and how the authors own needs in her writing life looks, specifically with a focus on women writing essays. Furthermore, the question of how these needs look are answered. Are they material, physical or more of an internal nature? In the analysis and discussion, the questions that are thoroughly handled in the literary experiment, is answered with help from my own essay and with the other essays written by women. By trying to hold a conversation with Woolf and reflecting on the needs of other writing women as well as my own needs when I write essays, these obstacles and needs are analysed and discussed. The results show that even though many conditions have improved for women who want to write today, many needs remain the same. The material needs are not perceived as as significant, but the societal demands and the inner needs of the modern writing woman can be experienced as obstacles to writing. However, the writing women studied for this essay find ways to balance their own needs with those of their surroundings in order to make their writing life work.