Virginia's relationships throughout her life contributed, not only to her literature, but the quality of her life as well. Perhaps the greatest influence in Virginia's life is her mother, Julia Stephen. "Julia Stephen was the most arresting figure which her daughter [Virginia Woolf] tried to resurrect and preserve" (Gordon 4). Woolf, a manic-depressive, found herself constantly searching for approval. "Virginia needed her mother's approval in order to 'measure her own stature" (Bond 38). Battling with a sense of worthlessness, Virginia's mother helped her temporarily rid herself of self-criticism and doubt. This however was short-lived. When Mrs. Stephen rejected Virginia, she felt her mother's disapproval directly related to the quality of her writing. "Virginia Woolf could not bear to reread anything she had written... Mrs. Stephen's rejection of Virginia may have been the paradigm of her failure to

Virginia found Vanessa's happiness impossible to bear... Vanessa's indifference to Virginia's state of mind contributed to her grief and subsequent mental breakdown... At the death of Sir Leslie, Virginia lost her father and her sister, the two people closest to her. (Bond 111). Their deteriorating relationship continued to worsen with each new quarrel. Each time they would argue, Virginia would suffer a breakdown, and Vanessa would reconcile with Virginia. When Vita and Virginia met, she and Vanessa went their separate ways. The sisters continued to have no contact while the relationship between Vita and Virginia prospered, but when Vita would leave her, the sisters would make amends yet again.

"Only writing," Virginia Woolf said, "could compose 'the synthesis of my being" (Gordon 7). Virginia Woolf greatly affected the feminist movement with her thoughts and writing. Her relationships with others fired her creative talent all the time driving her to suicide.

The relationship between the two influenced Virginia's life, as well as her death. By watching her father die of a terminal illness, Virginia wrote:

Their marriage resembled that of Virginia's parents, in that both marriages "were based on supposed evidence of superiority-inferiority" (Bond 96). Virginia had trouble in expressing her anger, and because of this she took revenge out on Leonard. She not only refused to have sex with him, but she also psychologically abused him. Exhibited in Virginias' literary work Mrs. Dalloway. Virginia, "like her 'chaste' heroine, Mrs. Dalloway, needed to refrain from sex with her husband in order to maintain her separateness" (Bond 96). Despite all of the turmoil, their marriage survived. The marriage became necessary for Virginia's mental survival as well as the survival of her writing career, which Leonard was an asset to. He kept Virginia focused on her writing, and kept her sane for extended periods of time. He "experienced vicarious gratification from Virginia's writing" (Bond 96). When Leonard criticized Virginia's writing, as with her mother, she fell back into depression and psychosis. Virginia's inability to function with out Leonard's support ultimately contributed to her suicide.

The relationship between Virginia and her sister Vanessa offered a different of relationship from all the others in her life. From the time Vanessa and Virginia were children, Vanessa acted as a safety net for Virginia. Virginia looked to her sister for comfort in a motherly role, and this continued with each new crisis. However, Vanessa failed to live up to the expectations Virginia had on her as a substitute mother. The first instance occurred with the death of their father, Leslie Stephen. Virginia "found herself emotionally drained and exhausted," while Vanessa "was plain delighted at regaining her freedom, and being released from the care and ill temper of this tyrannical man" (Bond 100). Because of their differences in coping with Leslie Stephens' death, V

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Approximate Word count = 2024
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)