Androgyny Quote by Virginia Woolf
““... it is fatal for anyone who writes to think of their sex. It is fatal to be a man or woman pure and simple; one must be woman-manly or man-womanly. It is fatal for a woman to lay the least stress on any grievance; to plead even with justice any cause; in any way to speak consciously as a woman. And fatal is no figure of speech; for anything written with that conscious bias is doomed to death. It ceases to be fertilized. Brilliant and effective, powerful and masterly, as it may appear for a day or two, it must wither at nightfall; it cannot grow in the minds of others. Some collaboration has to take place in the mind between the woman and the man before the art of creation can be accomplished. Some marriage of opposites has to be consummated. The whole of the mind must lie wide open if we are to get the sense that the writer is communicating his experience with perfect fullness.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: "A Room of One's Own", 1929, Lecture series
Argues that gender bias limits creative expression; collaboration between genders enriches art.
In simple terms: Gender bias hinders writing; partnership fuels creativity.
Key Takeaway
Seek balanced perspectives in creation.
Themes
gender equality
creativity
collaboration
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- co‑author projects
- editorial meetings
- academic seminars
- artistic collaborations
Key Concepts
feminist theory
literary criticism
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does gender bias shape artistic voices?
- What forms of collaboration enhance authenticity?
A Different Perspective
May overlook structural barriers beyond individual bias.
![“... All who have brought about a state of sex-consciousness are to blame, and it is they who drive me, when I want to stretch my faculties on a book, to seek it in that happy age ... when the writer used both sides of his mind [the male and female sides of his mind] equally. One must turn back to…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/107/virginia-woolf-49_androgyny_all-who-have-brought-about-a-state-of-se_2271608.jpg)
