The text is an extract from the essay's collection "The common reader" . it was
written by Virginia Woolf in 1915.The text is about the way a novelist should
write according to Virginia Woolf.

The extractis an argumentative essay, the thesis is explained in the first paragraph and
it is: tradition novel is not able to express the essence of what life is
really like according to Virginia Woolf. the target of this essay is the common
reader, as the title shows.

The text is organized into two sequences, each one with an own function. the first one has
the function to anticipate the second.

Furthermore the first sequence explains why traditional novels are no more suitable to convey
the idea of real life. according to Virginia Woolf novelists "Seem
constrained by tyrant to provide a plot, to provide comedy, tragedy, love
interest". In this sequence the writer exploits a metaphorical use of the
language, to tell the reader that traditional novelists are stuck on
conventions and the tyrant are convention.

The first sequence finishes with  rhetoric questions "
Is life like this? Must novels be like this?". the answer is obviously no,
the function of these questions is to support Virginia Woolf's thesis and to
make the reflect.

In the second section Virginia Woolf wants the reader to think how the mind works and
she describes the way a ordinary mind works. According to miss Woolf the mind
receives a lot impressions everyday and if the writer was free he would base
his work upon this feelings not upon convention.

At the end of the essay the writer expresses her idea about what life is really, and to
conclude Virginia Woolf states in form of rhetoric question that the task of
writers is to convey the spirit of life.

The language used in the extract is poetical and the metaphorical use of language
is widely exploited.