- · How does one find reason within the confines of a chaotic environment?
- · What can a woman do to effectively empower herself through seemingly difficult scenarios that result in oppression?
- · Why is free thinking needed in order to survive in a semi-progressive era and break the confines of conformity?
Are you a fight or flight person? When backed into a corner
and in a hostile environment, as depicted by Virginia Woolf, it seems that some
form of order needs to be brought into a time and place that consists of
nothing but violence and fear. How does one find reason within the confines of
a chaotic environment? Often times, in such situations, people simply react to
their surroundings on the basis of fear, aggression and confusion. They fight
back or avoid the issue and often lack rationality. Others are able to face
pressure head on and apply tactical reasoning. Woolf explains that thoughts and
ideas are nothing until we can work together to create action. Simply dreaming
up scenarios will never solve them and it takes some bravery to actually
express and apply some solutions given relevant location, current events and
role of a person.
While women were
seemingly helpless and only able to engage in minimal efforts to assist with
the war, such as making uniforms, weapons, or food, she indicates a possibility
that they may have been more capable of. Woolf is insistent upon the notion the
women must break beyond the barriers of gender roles and start putting those
thoughts into action together. Perhaps because women were not immersed with
daily combat and removed from the situation, they held the capability of coming
up with ideas that could not be found amidst war activity. However the fear was
instilled, and freedom was definitely lacking… the confines were just different.
As far as the English men who were defending their country and physically
fighting for a cause, facing death and danger every day, the author sees this
as an imprisonment that only fuels the fire of hatred towards human kind. We
cannot simply retaliate or run from the problematic hate that seems to be a
stigma to our society. We must use reason, invoke thought, and implement
conducive action towards a solution. This is what I think she means in making
ideas more meaningful in order to finding freedom.
I definitely agree with what you said about thinking in a chaotic environment. It's very hard to think straight in times that require immediate action--it's like "either you make the jump or you die" moments. However, since during times like these bombings women could do nothing but hide in fear, women do indeed formulate ideas that can be useful for the men out on the battlefield. I feel like if women at that time were able to express their opinions and make their ideas known to society, some problems would have been fixed more efficiently. After all, two minds are better than one, right? Well, with the opinion and ideas of both genders, the world may be a better place. ^^
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