A Room of One's Own Visions of London Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

The leaves were still falling, but in London now, not in Oxbridge; and I must ask you to imagine a room, like many thousands, with a window looking across people's hats and vans and motor-cars to other windows. (2.1)

This room of one's own has a window onto London. Given that the allegory of the room of one's own is so important, this window seems significant, even crucial. Hey, it's better than looking out into an airshaft.

Quote #2

London was like a workshop. London was like a machine. We were all being shot backwards and forwards on this plain foundation to make some pattern. The British Museum was another department of the factory. (2.2)

But is there a shift bell? This gives us an absurd vision of all the visitors to the British Museum wearing overalls and carrying tools. Aside from the LOLs, Woolf's image helps us think about how the small things we do every day contribute to making the whole culture.

Quote #3

Lamps were being lit and an indescribable change had come over London since the morning hour. It was as if the great machine after labouring all day had made with our help a few yards of something very exciting and beautiful—a fiery fabric flashing with red eyes. (2.15)

A burning cloth with eyes? Run away! And then come back and check out the metaphor: a dark city lighting up, in which every lamp is a pair of eyes. Pretty cool.