rowsNavigateStudyGuide

Historical Context
WorldWarI
BeforeWorldWarII,theFirstWorldWarwassimplyknownastheGreatWar.Asthetwentiethcentury
began,Germany,France,England,Russia,andAustriaHungaryintenselyguardedtheirinternational
territorialandeconomicinterests,eventothepointofthreateningwar.TheassassinationofArchduke
FerdinandbyaSerbiannationalistin1914sparkedashootingwarbetweenthemajorpoweralliances(the
TripleAllianceandtheTripleEntente)ofEurope.Afterfouryearsofwar,approximatelytenmillionpeople
werekilledandovertwentymillionwerewounded.
DeathofQueenVictoria
In1901,QueenVictoriadied.Shehadbecomequeenin1837,succeedingWilliamIV,andhadenjoyedthe
longestreignofanyBritishmonarch.Inheroldageshewasverypopular.Throughoutherreign,shefought
hardtomaintainEnglandscolonialcontrolthroughouttheworld.Shealsowasopposedtograntingwomen
thelegalrighttovote.
IndustrialAge
Thebeginningofthetwentiethcenturyseemedbothatimeofimmensepromiseandachillingreminderofthe
costofprogress.Citieswereplacesofinternationalcommerceandculturewhereartistsandwriterslived
andassociated.Citieswerealsothespaceoffactoriesandinatimebeforegovernmentalstandardsthat
regulatedworkplacesafety,theageofworkers,andthelengthoftheworkingday,tradeunionsfoughtfor
humaneconditions.Gardensandparkshadlongprovidedaspaceforpeopletomingle,nowtheytookonan
addedroleofprovidingaspaceofnaturalbeautyinanindustrialenvironment.
Astheworldheadedforthepoliticaldominoreactionsthattriggeredworldwar,theindustrialageseemedless
ofapromiseandmoreofadeadlymechanismwithanuncontrollableforce.Factoriesproducedimmense
amountsofartilleryandotherimplementsofwar,andpeoplequestionedthevalueofanindustrialcapability
thatcouldsoeasilybeharnessedanddirectedforthedestructionofotherhumanbeings.
ImpressionismandNarrativePerspective
Asthelegacyofnineteenthcenturyimperialismlaidthegroundworkfortheeconomicstateofaffairsinthe
twentiethcentury,traditionalideasofwhatwasliteratureandhowtotellastoryalsochanged.Painterslike
Seurat,Monet,Picasso,andChiricochallengedtraditionalnotionsofperspectiveinthevisualartsinsteadof
assumingthatartwouldpresentacohesivevisionoftheworld,artistsproposedexploringthewaysinwhich
allperspectivewaspartial,fractured,andevenviolentlydissonant.
WomensRights
Woolfsstorypresentsatleastthreetypesofwomen.First,thereisthedutifulwifewalkingastepbehindher
husbandwithaneyeonherchildren.Secondarethelowermiddleclasswomenwhoseemlostandlonely.
Thirdandfinallyisthecuriousyoungwomanwhostiflesherinquisitiveenthusiasmtofollowherboyfriend
totea.IntheseslightpicturesaredifferentvisionsofwomensrolesintheaftermathofaVictorianerain
whichconventionalmoralityscriptedwomentobeselfsacrificingdomesticangels,lonelyoldspinsters,and
virginal,innocentyounggirlsinneedofmaledirection.AsdevastatingasWorldWarIhadbeentoyoung
menofhergeneration,WoolfconsideredtheinstiK
Attheturnofthecentury,participantsinthewomensmovementbecamemoreandmoremilitantintheir
demandforpoliticalenfranchisement.KewGardenswaspublishedintheyearafterthefourthReformBill
wasfinallypassedin1918.TheReformBillgaveallwomenovertheageofthirtytherighttovote.Notuntil
1928werevotingrightsinEnglandthesameformenandwomen.
Throughouthercareer,Woolfaddressedthestereotypesthatlimitedandoppressedwomen,notonlyby
denyingthemthesameopportunitiesasmen,butalsobylimitingtheirsphereofinfluencetoastiflingand
smalldomesticspace.Shewouldurgewomentokilltheangelinthehouse,thatistoselfreflectand

combattheunreasonableandstagnantexpectationsplacedonwomenregardingtheirintellectual,sexual,and
publiclives.Killingtheangelrequirednotonlyfacingthepublicforceofsexismbutexaminingtheways
sexismwasinternalizedbywomenthemselves.
Kew Gardens Literary Style
PointofViewandNarration
Thenarratorisanomniscientthirdperson.Thenarratorsetsthesceneandisabletodelveintoeach
charactersprivatethoughts.Thetruenarrativeinsightappearsnotsomuchinwhatissaidorillustratedbutin
thedemonstratedinadequacyofthecharactersconversations.
Thenarratorillustratesthegardensceneinafashionthatdeflectsemphasisfromanindividualpersonor
groupofpersons.Peopleappearinaseriesthatisimplicitlycontinuousandrepetitive.Thesnailoffersthe
onlyconsistentcharacterandevenhisprogressisnotonlymundane,butitisnotnarratedtocompletion
thestoryendswiththesnailintheactoftentativeprogression.Thedescriptionsofthegardenareomniscient
aboutthevisualimpressionofthegardentheplayoflight,theshape,angle,andplacementofgarden
objects,andthediffusionofcolor.Asaresultofthesenarrativeemphases,thestorydeflectsattentionfroma
humancenterednarrativetoamoredetachedsuggestionofhowhumansfitinalargerformalstructure.
Setting
ThestorytakesplaceinKewGardens,theRoyalBotanicalGardensnearLondon.Presumably,itunfoldsnear
thetimeWoolfwrotethestoryin1917.Thegardensprovideapublicspacethatpeopleofdifferentclasses
share,eveniftheydonotdirectlyassociate.Similarly,thepracticeofhavingteadenotesacontinuityinthese
Londoners.
SymbolandImages
KewGardensisthestorystitleandcentralimage.ThenarrativedevelopmentofKewGardensoverridesany
specificcharacterizationandchalKlengeswhatreadersnormallyexpectinastory.Whileonenormallythinks
ofagardenasprovidingabackdroptotheplotofhumandrama,beitcomedyortragedy,herethegarden
overwhelmsanysingularhumanpersona.
Theimageofthegarden,then,operatesasasymbolonatleasttwodifferentlevels.First,thegardenimplies
theideaofnatureinwhichhumansareatharmonywithorganicgrowthprocesses.Thebiblicalgardenof
Edenisperhapsthemostforcefulmanifestationofthisharmony.Topeoplelivinginthemoderneraof
machineryandurbanity,istheideaofnaturejustanotherinvention?Byrenderingimagesofthegardenwith
emphasisongeometry,light,andperspective,thestoryusesthegardenasanironicsymbolofhumanitys
distancefromnatureandtheensuingmanufactureofnaturalspaces.
Thisironicgardenechoestheironiccompanionshipinthestory.EachsetofthosepromenadingKew
Gardensseemstoofferadeceptivepictureofunderstandingandsolidarity.Thenarrativeperspectivelightson
eachpairtodemonstratethewaysinwhichtheyareactuallywalkingthegroundsquitealone.actuallywalking
thegroundsquitealone.
Kew Gardens Literary Techniques
Inwritingabout"modernfiction"inanessayoriginallypublishedin1919shortlyaftershecompleted"Kew
Gardens,"Woolfasserted"Wearesuggestingthattheproperstuffoffictionisalittleotherthancustomwould
haveusbelieveit."Hermethodforworkingtowardsthe"proper"(orright)stuffoffictionatthisearlystage
ofherwritinglifewastocombineanextremelyvividdescriptionofthenaturalworldatechnique
characteristicofalyricpoemwiththeeffectoftheimagesdescribedontheflowofconsciousnessofthe
humancharacters.Woolfdidnotactuallywritepoetryinthesenseofaseparatepoem,butlikemanymasters
ofprosestyles,therearepassagesinhernarrativefictionthatareclearlypoetic.Theopeningandclosing
paragraphsof"KewGardens"areevidenceofthis.

Thefirstsentenceofthestorypresentstheflowersintermsofcolorimagery,adazzlingpageantof"intricate
colour"(thephrase"red,blueand[or]yellow"appearsthreetimes)asseenfromashiftingperspectivelike
thatofamobilecamerafilmingthescene.Then,inanexplicittransposition,Woolfconnectsthevisual
sensationstothepeopleinthegarden"thecolourwasflashedintotheairabove,intotheeyesofthemen
andwomenwhowalkinKewGardensinJuly."Thispermitshertointroducethecouplesbyshowingtheir
responsestotheatmosphereofthelocale,andtoestablishthefocusasinternalwhenshesaysofthehusband
inthefirstgroup,"hewishedtogoonwithhisthoughts."Althoughthisisoneofherfirstattemptstowrite
fromwithintheflowofconsciousnessofhercharacters,sheisoperatingonthesameprincipleasJamesJoyce
inUlysses(whichwasbeingwrittenatthesametimepublished1922)wheretheverbalstyleandrhythmsof
aninteriormonologueidentifythecharacter.Woolf'sworkhereistentativeandtesting,toobrieftoreally
establishacharacterindepth,butitisnotunsuccessfulsincesheisabletofindasuitablesyntaxforeach
voice.Simon,thehusband,ispoised,confident,pleasedwithhisabilitytorecollectamomentfromthepast
andexplainit.Hiswife,Eleanor,ismoreintense,deeplystirredbyherrecollections,althoughnotassure
whattheymean.Theoldermanwhofollowsisjagged,abrupt,agitated,evenincoherent.Thesnippetsof
speechofthetwowomennextseenaresetuplikeastreetrhyme:
"Nell,Bert,Lot,Cess,Phil,Pa,he
says,Isays,shesays,Isays,says"
"MyBert,Sis,Bill,Grandad,the
oldman,sugar,
Sugar,flour,kippers,greens,
Sugar,sugar,sugar."
Finally,theyoungcouplethatpassesconverseinsinglesentencesdividedby"longpauses...betweeneach
oftheseremarks."However,thereverieintheman'smindthatspringsfromtheseutterancesiseloquent,
expansiveandencompassing,indicatingtherangeandcomplexityofhismind,andbyextension,themindsof
anypersonexaminedindetail.
Kew Gardens Ideas for Group Discussions
Woolfworkedon"KewGardens"atthesametimethatshewaswritingandrewritingherwellknown
statementon"ModernFiction"whichwaseventuallypublishedinitscurrentforminTheCommonReader
(1925).Aftercriticizingthemoretraditionalcriteriaforthenovelofsomeofherillustriouspredecessors,she
summarizedherargumentbydeclaring"Anymethodisright,everymethodisright,thatexpresseswhatwe
wishtoexpress."Hermethodin"KewGardens"wastotryavarietyofdifferenttechniquesinanamalgam,
especiallyintermsofcharacterization,notonlybecauseshewassearchingforanmoreeffectivewayto
render"reality"butbecauseshefeltasenseofliberationfromthelimitsofherpublisher'sexpectation.Asshe
recalledin1930,whilewasfinishingthemanuscriptofNightandDayasaformoftherapy,shewrotethe
originalversionsoftheshortpiecesgatheredinMondayorTuesday"bywayofdiversiontheywerethetreats
IallowedmyselfwhenIhaddonemyexerciseintheconventionalstyle."Asadeparturefromthe
conventional,onemightconsider:
1.Howdoesthesnailworkasa"character"?Isitmoreorlessimportantthanthehumanswhoappearinthe
story?
2.WhateffectdoesWoolfachievebydescribingthegardenandthecityaseachhavingakindof"voice"?
Whydoessherepeatthewordmurmurinthisarea?
3.HowdoesWoolfusesoundpatternstocreatethemoodsofthestory?
4.Doestheheatcontributeanythingtothepsychologicalatmosphere?
5.Theelderlymandoesnotseemtohaveaclearlyfocusedmind.HoweffectiveisWoolf'sattempt,here,to
conveysomesenseofmentalinstabilityperhapsakintothesymptomssheherselfexperiencedin1916(andat
otherpointsinherlife)?

6.Intheelderlyman'smonologue,thereisareferencetoUruguay.LaterinthestoryWoolfmentionsa
ChinesepagodaandcomparesthecitytoavastnestofChineseboxes.Whatdothesereferencesaccomplish?
7.HowistimecompressedandexpandedinKewGardens?
Kew Gardens Social Concerns
OneofVirginiaWoolf'smosturgentdesires,alifelongproject,wastorewriteorrevisetheofficialhistoryof
theEnglishnation.Herfather,SirLeslieStephen,haddirectedhereducationathome,encouraginghertoread
bookssuchasThomasCarlyle'sFrenchRevolution(1837),EdwardGibbon'sDeclineandFalloftheRoman
Empire,ThomasBabbingtonMacaulay'sHistoryofEnglandfromtheAccessionofJamesIIandEssaysin
EcclesiasticalBiographybyhergrandfatherJamesStephen.AstheeditorofTheDictionaryofNational
Biography,LeslieStephenhasbeencalledthe"modelinsider,"andinherdiary.Woolfdescribedhimasthe
epitomeof"EtonCambridge,"hertermfortheinstitutionswhichpreparedyoungmentoberulersofthe
Empirethatwasatitspeakin1882(whenWoolfwasbornandfromwhichshe,bygender,wasexcluded).
Woolfdidnotchallengethehistorian'srecordasinaccuratesomuchasincomplete.Hersolidbackground
withhistoricalchroniclesledhertosayin1933:
Itwouldbefareasiertowritehistory(thanfiction),butthatmethodoftellingthetruthseemsto
mesoelementary,andsoclumsy,thatIprefer,wheretruthisimportant,towritefiction.
AscriticSusanGubarnotes,"...shemeditatedontherelationshipbetweentheofficialpublichistory
constitutedbythemasculinestudbookandtheunofficialprivatehistoryrepresentedbythelivesofwomen."
Byshiftingthefocusawayfrom"thepublicworld,masculinity,technology,andthewar"andtoward"the
private,thefeminine,thenatural,"Woolfwasattemptingaradicalrestructuringoftheestablishedorderof
socialprecedence.
In"KewGardens,"theimperialdomainofMANoverthenaturalworldanaxiomofnineteenthcentury
thinkinginbothGreatBritainandtheUnitedStateswasusurpedbyarepositioninginwhichlavish
descriptionsofthegardensinitiateandthenclosethestory,withthehumancharactersappearingfleetingly,
almostasanafterthought.Andthecharacters,astheymaterializeanddriftthroughthegarden,arenotkings,
ministers,soldiersorscholars.Instead,Woolfpresentstheother,overlooked,majorityofhumanitythe
"livesoftheobscure"asshesaidinThreeGuineas(1938)afamilyoffourtwomen(possiblyfatherand
son)elderlywomen"ofthelowermiddleclass"andtwoyoungpeople"onecoupleafteranotherwith
muchthesameirregularandaimlessmovement"asshesummarizestheirpassage.ForWoolf,theabsenceof
anycompellingpoliticalprogramorhistoricalvisioniswhatmakesthesepeopleinteresting.Intheirordinary
lives,theyexpress"suchdepthofcontentment,suchpassionofdesire"astomakethemcomparablein
importancetothemorecelebratedhistoricalfiguresofthescholarlytomesshehadreadinherteensather
father'shouse.
Kew Gardens Compare and Contrast
1915:Thereare4,300,330visitorstoKewGardens.In1916,thenumberfallsto713,922aftertheinstitution
ofanentrancefee.
1990s:AboutonemillionpeoplevisitKewGardensannually.
1918:ThefourthReformActincreasestheelectoratefromeighttotwentyonemillion.TheReformActgives
allmenovertheageoftwentyonetherighttovote,whilewomenoverthirtyaregrantedvotingrights.Inthe
UnitedStates,womenssuffrageisguaranteedbythenineteenthamendmenttotheConstitution,ratifiedin
1920.In1928,allmenandwomenovertwentyonewhomeettheresidencyrequirementareentitledtovote.
1990s:AllmenandwomeneighteenandoldercanvoteinEnglandandtheUnitedStates.

Kew Gardens Topics for Further Study

ComparethefourdifferentgroupsofpeoplewhostrollthroughKewGardens.Doyouseeanysimilarities
amongthem?HowdoEleanorandTrissiecompare?HowdoSimonandtheyoungmancomparewith
Trissie?
Whyissomuchattentionpaidtoasnailwalkingacrossthegardenfloor?
Whatisuniqueaboutthisstory?Canyouformulateaplot?Whatisthestorytryingtodobyskippingaround
fromgrouptogroupandwhydoesntthestorytellthereadermoreaboutwhathappenstoeachofits
characters?
AnalyzeindetailthesceneofTrissieandtheyoungmanstandingbytheflowerbed.Whatdoestheumbrella
symbolize?Whatdoesthetwoshillingpieceintheyoungmanspocketsymbolize?WhydoesWoolfexpect
thereadertofigureoutthedetails?
Aftermeanderingthroughthegarden,severalofthepeopledecidetogohavetheirtea.Why?Whatarethe
literalreasonsandwhataresomepossiblefigurativeinterpretations?
Kew Gardens Literary Precedents
Woolfwaswritingontheoutwardperipheryofthemodernistmovementinhernovelsandinshortfictionlike
"KewGardens,"soitmightbeappropriatetosaythatsheisestablishingaprecedent,ratherthanfollowing
one.SheknewandadmiredtheshortstoriesthatJoycehadpublishedinDubliners(1914)andhis
developmentofthecharacterofStephenDeadalusinPortraitoftheArtistasaYoungMan(1916),and
althoughhewasnotreallyamodernist,E.M.Forster'sattemptstounderstandtheinnerpsychologyofa
characteralsoappealedtoWoolf.TheextremelyevocativedescriptionsofthenaturalworldthatD.H.
Lawrenceincludedinsomeofthestoriesinhisfirstcollection,ThePrussianOfficerandOtherStories(1914)
anticipatedthelushgardenvisionof"KewGardens"anditsinterestintheeffectsoflandscapeon
consciousness.
Kew Gardens Related Titles
ThesecondpublicationofVirginiaandLeonardWoolf'sHogarthPresswasWoolf'sshortstory"Kew
Gardens,"whichincludedfourwoodcutsusedasaccompanyingillustrationsbyWoolf'ssisterVanessa.A
positivereviewintheprestigiousTimesLiterarySupplementledtorequestsfor150copiesandasecond
editionwascommissionedfromacommercialprinter.Afterthisencouragingresponse,Woolfnolongerfelt
thatitwasnecessarytodevoteallofherenergiestonovels,andasLeonardWoolfcommentedinhisforeword
tothefirstcollectionofallhershorterfiction,AHauntedHouseandOtherShortStories(1944),"Ifshefelt,
assheoftendid,whilewritinganovelthatsherequiredtoresthermindbyworkingatsomethingelsefora
time,shewouldeitherwriteacriticalessayorworkupononeofhersketchesforshortstories."In1923,the
onlybookofshortstoriestoappearinherlifetime,MondayorTuesday,waspublishedbytheHogarthPress.
Kew Gardens What Do I Read Next?
Dubliners(1914),byJamesJoyce,includesshortpiecesthatshedlightondifferentpeoplelivinginDublin.
Manystoriesfocusonseeminglyordinaryexperiencesthatthecharactersstruggleineffectivelytoidealize.
Joycechallengeshisreadertoreadsubtlecuestounderstandtheimplicationsofhischaractersobservations.
TheGardenPartyandOtherStories(1922),byKatherineMansfield,includesstoriesthatutilizevariedtones
toillustratepeopleintheirdailylives.Sketchingthedifferentimpressionsandperspectivesoffamily
membersorsolitarycharacters,Mansfieldsprosecanbefresh,stark,andhaunting.

JacobsRoom(1922),byVirginiaWoolf,tellsthestoryofJacobFlanderswho,likeWoolfsbelovedolder
brother,Thoby,diedasayoungman.JacobiskilledinWorldWarIandthestoryistoldthroughthe
perspectiveofthosewhointeractwithJacobasfamily,friends,lovers,ormereacquaintances.LikeKew
Gardens,thenovelemploysinnovativewritingtechniques.
TotheLighthouse(1927),byVirginiaWoolf,tellsthestoryoftheRamsayfamilysyearlyretreattotheir
summerhouse.Mr.RamsayisaphilosopherandMrs.Ramsayisamotherdevotedtoherchildren.Thenovel
recordsthedynamicsoffamilylifeandthetouchingeffectsoftimespassageonhumanrelationships.Like
JacobsRoom,thenovelemploysinnovativetechniquesandanetworkofsubtledetails.
Kew Gardens Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Bishop,Edward,PursuingItThroughKewGardens,inStudiesinShortFiction,Vol.19,No.3,
Summer1982,pp.26976.
Desmond,Ray,Kew:TheHistoryoftheRoyalBotanicGarden,TheHarvillPress,1995.
Gillespie,DianeFilby,TheSistersArts:TheWritingandPaintingofVirginiaWoolfandVanessaBell,
SyracuseUniversityPress,1988.
Staveley,Alice,VisualizingtheFeminine:Fashion,Flowers,andOtherFineArts,inVirginiaWoolfandthe
Arts:SelectedPapersfromtheSixthAnnualConferenceonVirginiaWoolf,editedbyDianeF.Gillespieand
LeslieK.Hankins,PaceUniversityPress,1997.
FurtherReading
Gillespie,DianeFilby,TheSistersArts:TheWritingandPaintingofVirginiaWoolfandVanessaBell,
SyracuseUniversityPress,1988.ThisworkexaminestherelationshipofVirginiaWoolftohersisterVanessa
Bell.BellwasanartistwhocollaboratedwithWoolfinillustratingherstoriesandprovidingfrontispiecesfor
someofhernovels.GillespiediscusseshowKewGardensbecameanimportantcollaborativeproject
betweenthetwosisters.
Lee,Hermione,VirginiaWoolf,Knopf,1997.ThishighlyreadablebiographytracesthelifeofWoolfnotonly
asanauthor,afeminist,andapublicfigurebutalsoasaprivateperson.
Woolf,Virginia,MomentsofBeing,editedbyJeanSchulkind,HarcourtBraceJovanovich,1976.Thisisa
collectionofWoolfsautobiographicalessays.Notpublishedinherlifetime,theylendinsightonher
childhoodandrelationshipswithherfamily,herfightwithdepression,andherdecisiontomarryLeonard
Woolf.