Writing and Identity

Koutsantoni, Katerina. "In all writing, it's the Person's Own Edge that Counts." Virginia Woolf's Common Reader. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2009. 123-146. Print.

Koutsantoni’s article discusses interesting factor’s concerning the works of Virginia Woolf. Her focus is on the beliefs and values that Woolf had which are evident throughout her essays and novels. The specific point of view of Koutsantoni’s article is the subjectivity of Woolf, as well as the relation between that subjectivity and her work. The talent that Woolf possessed in communicating her beliefs and values was through “engaging in an open dialogue with the reader” (130). The point of view that Koutsantoni continually reiterates is that the dialogical way that Woolf expresses opinions gives a clear view of what is being said; Woolf attempts to speak openly about her subjectivity as opposed to concealing aspects of her values and beliefs. In turn, this lead to a correlation between both public art and subjectivity, which allowed writing to become a complex art of personal and external.

Koutsantoni’s article possesses information which would be able to aid in answering the research question. This particular source contains information on Woolf’s writing; it continually states how her inner mind was communicated specifically through dialogue. Throughout the novel of To the Lighthouse, the narration is a consistent dialogue between characters and their inner thoughts. Due to the fact that Koutsantoni reiterates the importance of Woolf recording her own subjectivity, the narration of To the Lighthouse becomes clearer when reading the thought processes of the characters. Lily and her internal, artistic process become more understandable in particular, for Lily attempts to put on a public canvas what she finds so personal. Koutsantoni says that Woolf’s goal was to create “intersubjectivity and, by extension, dialogism;” this contributes to the understanding of Woolf’s narration and her desire for it to reflect what is personal and genuine (146).