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Dialogues@RU is published
annually
by the
Writing Program at
Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey
Volume Three
Spring 2004
Finding “Being” through “Non-Being" - Page 5
by
Rachelle Wander
Commentary: Finding “Being” through “Non-Being”
by
Dixita Patel
Identity plays a critical role in perceiving the self and its relationship to the outside world. Whether it be exploring past experiences to highlight what was the most significant to the individual’s life, one’s quest for identity is the way to comprehending how worthwhile life can be. In her essay “Finding ‘Being’ Through ‘Non-Being,’” Rachelle Wander explores the depth of Virginia Woolf’s persona. Wander through her analysis of Woolf provides the reader with an insight into how exactly the experiences of the past, specifically the moments of “being” and “non-being” has shaped Woolf’s character presently and how only by discovering her past can she understand how it affects the present.
Particularly, the discussion of what differentiates a moment of “being” from a moment of “non-being” is an engaging project because it made me contemplate whether anyone really acknowledges the everyday experiences, such as eating or sleeping in defining the more momentous experiences. Everyone undergoes the daily rituals of life but do they consider the impact such experiences can have in understanding the moments of “sudden violent shock” (Wander 2). The notion to understand the memorable moments through the day-by-day moments is unique to what others have been conditioned to learn and expect.
Wander’s use of Nancy Chodorow’s theory of “merging and separation” (4) demonstrates the writer’s ability to engage in critical analysis and connective thinking. Understanding Woolf’s attempts to “merge” and “separate” from her family in order to understand who molded her into Virginia Woolf is essential to the argument. However, Wander does not address how and why Virginia “masks her identity in the form of others who surrounded her as a child” (4). Did this vast self-attentiveness exist as “camouflage and deception as for revelation?” (4) Wander also mentions the word “revelation” at other key points throughout the essay but does not analyze its importance in comprehending identity formation.
The author incorporates the analysis and theories of several scholars to reinforce the argument, creating strong textual support and cohesive paragraphs. However, the argument seems to shift its focus. It is not absolutely clear as to whether or not the purpose of the work is to prove that true identity formation can only be established after realizing the “non-being” is necessary for acknowledging the “being” or is the focus on “how Woolf’s concepts on her own existence and identity formation act as an archetype to anyone who seeks self-affirmation” (Wander 1). Moreover, the author only attempts to discuss that particular idea in the introduction and does not reflect back to it within the essay. The role identity plays in achieving self-affirmation would be an interesting idea to explore in the paper.
When Wander elaborates on Woolf’s moment of “being,” specifically her conception, she does not discuss what moment of “non-being” led her to realize the moment of “being,” namely the significance of her conception, which is fundamental to her argument. Would Virginia need to experience a moment of “non-being” necessarily to acknowledge her conception, “which makes concrete this abstract feeling of a union between herself and the world at large?” (Wander 7)
Furthermore, while Wander cites sources effectively to reinforce her claim, she does not engage the sources in a dialogue as to create moments of analysis. For instance, in order to complicate the argument, “Felski’s concept on the lack of a mingling past and present in order to create meaning, should be viewed in lieu of Chodorow’s concept of “merging and separation” (Wander 9). Engaging the sources in a dialogue would strengthen the author’s argument and create more focus.
Wander’s analysis of the juxtaposition of Woolf’s moments of “being” and “non-being” as representative of her personal identity, is undeniably the strongest aspect of her paper because she adroitly engages and critiques the authors to formulate her own ideas of Woolf’s experiences. Not only does Wander validate her claim but furthermore challenges the reader to ponder why we as humans need to explore the past, both the momentous and insignificant experiences, only to better understand ourselves and the place we hold in society and the world at large.
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