The Keep

The Keep

By Gladys Zamora

The document I analyzed is about an individual expressing their reaction to Three Guineas. The fan describes her experience reading the book, which she found enjoyable. However, she poses two argumentative questions regarding the time period in which Woolf wrote the book. Notably, the fan appears to have opposing views to Woolf's pacifist stance, asking, “Is one smilingly to turn the other cheek when Germany - enormously strong through her forcible annexation of Czechoslovakia, the Tyrol, Memel, etc. - turns her greedy eyes to these islands? Is one to meekly allow oneself to be bombed, annexed, and are we and our Empire to submit without resistance?” (Rossiter, 1938). The signature reads “Your faithfully, Gladys,” which I believe shows the fan's support for Virginia Woolf despite her critique-like questions; in my opinion, the signature gives the idea that the fan gave critical feedback with no negative intention, rather curiosity. 

Furthermore, I was surprised by the document as a whole and how impactful Virginia Woolf was to society, even during her period of time, inspiring people to write fan letters to her. This archive was different from others I've visited due to its rich and specific collection of Virginia Woolf content. It made the lectures and assigned readings of our class come to life. It is easy to forget authors' stories, but reading fan letters, specifically the one I chose to write about, brought the life of Virginia Woolf and her impact on society to life. Analyzing documents almost a century old is exciting and helps us understand history and its impact on the present.