Three Guineas

Three Guineas is a private letter published for a public audience. Examine the ways in which the tension between the private and the public is explored through the medium of letters. 

The unnamed correspondent functions as the antagonist in Three Guineas. Explore the ways in which Woolf portrays the man and his politics.

Woolf uses the Greek tragedy Antigone as an allegory for the unnamed correspondent’s political thoughts. How does she use the play to deconstruct the patriarchy?

One of the most famous images in Three Guineas is the procession. Examine the imagery Woolf uses to describe the procession and discuss how her politics manifest through literary language. 

As well as the unnamed correspondent, Woolf writes hypothetical letters to two women. Examine the difference in tone, style, and subject matter between male and female recipients. 

Throughout Three Guineas, Woolf uses the biographies of the dead to explore the ways in which society curtails the rights of women. How does the use of biography play into Woolf’s rhetorical style and what are her aims when appealing to biography?

Woolf structures Three Guineas around the question of how to prevent war. However, the text contains very few depictions of combat as it might traditionally be perceived. Explore the ways in which Woolf portrays war in the text.

The clothing of men and women (and the inherent differences between the two) are an illustrative motif found in Three Guineas. How does Woolf use the depiction of clothing to make her political points?