Oftentimes a novel takes place over the course of several weeks, months, or even years. With short stories or essays, the timeline is not uncommonly the same, but they are more often than not a bit shorter: perhaps a week, a few days, or even a story taking place all within an hour. However, it seems to be quite uncommon for a writer to write not just about one day, but to write their entire piece about a single instance, act, or seemingly simple concept.
Virginia Woolf wrote multiple pieces of this nature. In her short essay, “The Lady in the Looking-Glass; A Reflection” she writes of a lovely woman who is wealthy, social, successful, and seemingly happy. An element of her life or her character is exposed in the climax of the story; the simple act of seeing herself in the mirror. The several hundred words of the essay lead up to this moment, beginning with beauty and cheer and slowly deteriorating into a ruinous tone of sadness. The concept of seeing oneself in the mirror is the idea around which this story revolves; it is a simple act, something most think nothing of on a day to day basis, however, it exposes in a slightly underhanded way the thoughts of the character, leading lady Isabella Tyson.
Similar to “The Lady in the Looking-Glass; A Reflection”, Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” revolves around the idea that for someone (particularly a woman) to write effectively and progressively, she must have a room of her own and the resources by which to work. These are both simple concepts about which most wouldn’t care to consider twice. In her stories, however, these subtle, simple ideas are the substance of her very thinking in many of her pieces.
Woolf, Virginia. “The Lady in the Looking-Glass; A Reflection.” The University of Adelaide. August 4 2012. Web.
