Accepted Quote by Virginia Woolf
“We read Charlotte Bronte not for exquisite observation of character, not for comedy, not for a philosophic view of life, but for her poetry. Probably that is so with all writers who have, as she has, an overpowering personality, so that . . . they only have to open the door to make themselves felt. There is in them some untamed ferocity perpetually at war with the accepted order of things.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf, 1929
Woolf argues that a writer’s powerful personality makes their work feel alive, beyond mere observation or humor.
In simple terms: Strong personalities give writing a vivid, poetic force.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the writer’s unique voice.
Themes
literature
personality
creativity
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
critical
observational
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- creative writing workshops
- literary criticism
- teaching literature
Key Concepts
poetry
character observation
authorial presence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does a writer’s temperament shape their style?
- Can personality alone sustain literary merit?
A Different Perspective
The claim may overlook the role of craft and editing.
![“I would say it was [ifluence] all the Greeks and the Russian classics like [Lev] Tolstoy, [Andrey] Goncharov,[Fedor] Dostoyevsky, [Alexander] Pushkin, and the international classics in Russian translation like Victor Hugo, George Sand, Charlotte Bronte, Sir Walter Scott, Mark Twain.” quote by Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/002/vera-nazarian-1671_bronte_i-would-say-it-was-ifluence-all-the-gree_2921445.jpg)
![“[Charlotte Bronte] had thought of every maneuver for circumventing those stony obstructions of wives who would not remove themselves.” quote by Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f48/elizabeth-hardwick-10519_every-man_charlotte-bronte-had-thought-of-every-ma_1381449.jpg)
![“We have reached a situation where a theory has been accepted as fact by some, and possible contrary evidence is shunted aside. [This is] mythology rather than science.” quote by Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c31/robert-shapiro-26969_accepted_we-have-reached-a-situation-where-a-theo_19120.jpg)
