Shakespeare's Sister : Themes
Shakespeare's Sister is a notable literary work by Virginia Woolf. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Shakespeare's Sister.
Themes
Themes:
Feminism: One of the central themes of Virginia Woolf’s “Shakespeare’s Sister” is feminism. She shows how society, religion, and culture in every age have suppressed women’s talent and freedom. In the Elizabethan era, women writers were invisible because they had no access to education or independence. Woolf argues that for a woman to become a writer, she must have “a room of her own” and financial independence. This theme expresses women’s demand for self-respect, independent thinking, and equal opportunities.
Male Domination: In this essay, Woolf clearly exposes how men have established dominance over women in every sphere of life—history, literature, and education. Men were taught to believe they were superior, while women were portrayed as inferior. For example, Oscar Browning once said, “The best woman was intellectually the inferior of the worst man.” This means that even the most intelligent woman was thought to be less capable than the least intelligent man. Through this theme, Woolf mocks this patriarchal mindset and calls for intellectual equality between men and women.
Self-Identity Crisis: Woolf reveals how women, despite having talent, lost their own sense of identity. They had no individual existence in society and were forced to live in the shadow of men. Many women wrote under male pen names, such as George Eliot and Currer Bell (Charlotte Brontë). This shows that women were afraid to reveal their real identities. The theme highlights the struggle of women to reclaim their lost identity and individuality.
Education and Literature: In this essay, Woolf states that women could not become writers because they were denied education. In the Elizabethan age, girls were not sent to school and were forbidden from reading books. As a result, they were excluded from the world of literature. Woolf emphasizes the deep connection between education and creative writing. Without education, women could not participate in literary creation. Therefore, she demands educational freedom and literary rights for women. This theme teaches that education and literature are the true paths to women’s liberation and creative fulfillment.