Essay
Virginia Woolf: Acceptance and Alienation
The Frictional Tides of Self and Society in Modernist Literature
From the moment we enter the world, we are immersed in our society's customs, beliefs, and expectations. This process of cultural domestication profoundly shapes our perceptions, behaviors, and identities. It’s not merely about absorbing societal norms but involves molding our very consciousness. Society imparts its collective wisdom, traditions, and moral codes upon us, constructing the framework through which we understand ourselves and the world around us.
As we mature, self-consciousness sparks introspection. We begin to question the values and beliefs ingrained in us during our formative years. This awakening can be both liberating and unsettling, prompting existential inquiries about individuality and free will. The desire to escape or transcend these imposed frameworks can overwhelm the mind with internal conflicts and external pressures.
Attempts to break free from these deep-seated values are often thwarted by subtle cultural artifacts embedded in language, art, traditions, social rituals, and daily life. These elements act as invisible threads, continually weaving us back into the cultural fabric we strive to unravel. They are omnipresent, reinforcing norms through…
