#aplang14woolfphantoms

[paigieusholliscus]

I believe the phantoms we face in everyday live is gender roles. The idea that we all fit in a little slot and walk the same line; men with a briefcase and women have a broom. Women clean up a man's mess while he gets more money to make a bigger mess. 

[lexgallagher]

Phatoms, angels,and obstacles

To me I think the angel is suppose to be the good memories women that use to influence us and were/are teaching us to be the stereotypical stay at home moms. The phantoms are the negative memories that we have left of the angel. finally, the obstacles are the things that in reality we still have to face using the tools that the angel taught us but the "phantoms" of are experiences becoming who we are to challenge ourselves.

[mimiasante-blog]

It Is Far More Difficult to Kill a Phantom Than a Reality

Through figurative language, Woolf is using the image of Phantoms and Obstacles like how one would use Mind over Matter. Which would be more powerful? In this world, Obstacles are mainly two things: Challenges that are tangible, often times conquerable. Like a fierce competition, a race, a game. Or Obstacles are a condition. This condition makes the goal harder to attain - it's not be physical at all. You can't touch it, you don't even know where the starting line is -  all you know is that you are aware of it's chilling presence, always looming over you. Which of the two is worse? Something you can physically strike down, or something you're battling that you've become blind to - your own reflection, your Phantom? If faced with something real, Woolf is stating anyone, even a woman, can get over it. A woman can write. She can write like hell. All she needs is a pen and paper. Once that hurdle is clear - boom. But the moment the Phantom's whisper leaks, there comes the prejudice, sexism, and discrimination. Woolf is stating Phantoms are ideas, toxic enemies that people, especially women, bestow upon themselves because they believe they are looking at their own reflection. What they want to see, and what they do see are altered and twisted into that this isn't good enough. For women, who have already been degraded in the past, Woolf is demonstrating that the discrimination doesn't start from the outside, it starts from within. Many women fall victim to their Phantoms and become stay at home mothers, knitters, the not-really-reading-but-still-talking-about-the-book bookclub-er,  but Woolf wants the women who are/were like her to realize that before fighting whatever is outside there you need to fight what is inside. It cannot be something half done, shooed away into a corner, because it will come back to haunt you. You need to stop that Phantom in it's path, murder it, and walk straight forward down this already worn road, without looking back at the shadow connected to your feet. It's a path that has been walked down by many other women before her, and one that she should pass on just like she was given.

[haleybittinger]

Phantoms

I have thought about being the Angel in the House and I don't necessarily mind it. Although it is different, the idea of being a trophy wife has ALWAYS attracted me. The one phantom I have is that I will finish college and go on to grad school, like I plan to do, and my husband will take advantage of the fact that I am successful. I think that everyone fears that the people they trust will take advantage of them. Stereotypes are hard to break, this one especially, and even that in itself is a phantom.

[porterrachael]

Personally I believe we all have phantoms inside our head in which haunt us or even hold us back. However as brought up in class obstacles are physical things in which can be destroyed, yet can phantoms? I believe so, we overcome things not only physically but emotionally. Therefore we have the power in which to do so with phantoms. I also believe that you aren't always necessarily afraid of what stands in your way. For most things I understand there are going to be obstacles as well as the thoughts in my head that may say I can't, however it only pushes me harder to overcome. Phantoms differ per person, which is one reason I'm confused as to why we are talking about this. Thoughts differ per person which leads me to believe phantoms do as well. 

[maddybizzle]

Phantoms

After our discussion in class today, like every one else I have come to the realization that phantoms are what we are afraid of. In my opinion no one likes to talk about what their afraid of or their "phantoms" and that's why Woolf brings up the Phantoms, they have to get out in the open or else they'll haunt us till the day we die. It's like having skeletons in a closet, the longer they hide behind closed doors the worse you feel about them. If you don't acknowledge your phantom, it will eat away at you until your phantom consumes you.

[andrewgretkie-blog]

Phantoms

To me, the Phantoms in which Woolf is describing are the things that constantly push down on women they keep them from being able to do what they wish with their life. Many of the phantoms tell them that they have to get married to be successful, and should raise children rather than getting a job to be able to support themselves.

[gabriellebrancheau-blog]

Phantoms

In Woolf's piece, "Professions For Women" she describes a "Angel in the House" this angel represents all the stereotypes, judgements and limitations put on woman. A lot of women aren't strong enough to kill this angel. So they don't, and they live their life how society tells them to live it. She describes how hard killing this angel is and how it's easier just to slip through life as a housewife or a person who doesn't take risks and push societies limits. This phantom haunts women, tempts them to form themselves into a housewife.

[carolineeriley]

Phantoms

The phantom Woolf is referring to is the image of what women were supposed to be and the obstacles they fade during this time period. In this time period women were expected to just be a housewife and do the house chores and nothing else so that would be an obstacle, or in this case the phantom. The obstacles were that women were not equal and could not do what they wanted because they were held to a certain expectation that haunted them which would be the phantom.

[oliviahelland]

Phantom

Woolf throughout her speech makes it quiet clear that these phantoms are the "angels of the house;" however why would she call them, both, an angel and a phantom? Those two ideas seem to contradict each other. Personally, I think Woolf is trying to say that these are referred to by tradition as angels, but to woman they're phantoms; they're holding us back.

[marieclark55]

Who are the phantoms?

In Woolf's speech, she says "Even when the path is nominally open... There are many phantoms and obstacles, as I believe, looming in her way." The phantoms Woolf refers to is the still present overhanging obligation of women to be perfect housewives in addition to the ever-changing idea of women professionals. Woolf recognizes that as any woman approaches the professional world, they will face many challenges of character, judgement, and doubt from others. Simply by breaking the idea of being a man's lady and having a job is a radical idea in its own. Woolf is trying to be understanding of her audience; women wanting to grow in the professional world. But, she is careful to not feel sorry for them because she observes these women need some "tough love" to become stronger and battle their own phantoms oppressed by society onto them.

[holydale]

Phantoms of Woolf

The phantoms in Woolf's passage is the angel in the house. The angel or phantom represents the stereotypes of women, staying at home, cleaning the house, and taking care of the kids.

[charliesuncharged]

Phantoms

I believe these phantoms that women are still fighting are the offspring of the "Angel in the House". The Angel was telling women what they can do and say, and the phantoms are still doing that (just in a different way). The phantoms are telling women that they need to uprise and fight back against the man, even if they don't want to, because that's what they have to do. The phantoms are all around and makes the mold that women shape into and I don't believe they're going away any time soon.

[itsjaneajones]

Phantoms.

I think the phantom that she was addressing is the standards society has laid out for us. The "guidelines" we are supposed to follow as women. She is saying no more. We need to slay and overcome these roles that we have been put in by man and even in some aspects by ourselves.

[sclancyposts]

Phantoms

The phantoms Woolf is referring to are the classic housewife image that women struggle to get over and the self image problems women face.  In this paragraph Woolf says, “Even when the path is nominally open- when there is nothing to prevent a woman from being a doctor, a lawyer, a civil servant- there are many phantoms and obstacles looming in her way,” Many companies will pick a male over a female for the job due to the image, not taking time of due to pregnancy, and usually men take less time off to look after their sick child or attend parent teacher conference ect. Maybe nothing physically is preventing women from becoming a lawyer, doctor, or civil servant but there are a lot of internal barriers. As time goes on I feel like society is more accepting of women having a professional career, but it difficult for a man to be married to a more successful women.  I have watched videos of the male in the relationship saying he feels some of his masculinity is taken when his wife is making double than what he is. I might get killed for saying this, but really when you think about it other than giving child birth and counseling what jobs do women do better than men?  In my personal opinion there isn't many.  With that being said, I felt like Woolf was saying being a stay at home mom is the traditional, easy way of life.  I disagree.  My mom is a stay at home mom and she isn't any less than a female that works a 9-5.  I personally believe if a woman wants to be a stay at home mom there is nothing wrong with that.  She is supporting the family, just in a different way than the dad is. I know this post is all over the place, I have many thoughts on this subject.

[icecoldgold]

Phantoms and Obstacles

The definition of a phantom is a ghost or figment of one's imagination. Something lurking, but not really there. The Phantom's Virginia Woolf speaks of are the factors such as traditional gender roles, or the "Angel in the House", that make a woman resist taking on a high position on the career pyramid. She is haunted by doubts if she's good enough or if she will ever be respected as a man is respected in that field. Though they are holding her back, they're phantoms because they're only mental and can't really be defined. A woman just has to get out of her head and tackle what's set before her.