Essay Questions

How does Woolf respond to the first question discussed in ‘Three Guineas’?

The first question is about what will be done in the future to prevent war. Woolf answers this question by explaining that it will be challenging to avoid conflict because of male competition. According to Woolf, men compete to prove who is more robust, which has prompted Western countries to invest heavily in weaponry. Consequently, it will be challenging to prevent war in the future. Unfortunately, during the war, women are the ones who suffer the most.

According to Woolf, why is women's education underfunded globally?

According to Woolf, women are unequally treated in society because women's education is not taken seriously, thus the low funding. Most cultures value male education while girls are left at home to take care of the family. Therefore, many countries for years assumed that women's education is a waste of resources. However, contemporary society realizes the significance of women's education because women can perform better than men given equal opportunities.

Why are women denied equal opportunities in society?

Woolf blames women's unequal treatment on the patriarchal system, which colludes with religious institutions and other techniques to brainwash women that they must respect men and the systems in place. For instance, religion places the man at a higher rank than the woman claiming that the man must always be the head, and this assumption has often been used to disadvantage women. Secondly, the church institutions majorly preserve ministerial positions for men arguing that Christ was a man. Similarly, society believes that a woman is a weak gender has mostly contributed to women's mistreatment. However, feminists globally have much succeeded in defeating the myths that surround the unproven beliefs about women.