"Street Haunting: A London Adventure"

On the streets of London there is much to be seen. Virginia Woolf describes a journey down these streets with great detail. A particular scene that stuck with me was that of the dwarf. Here was this woman who had an obvious disability and the shame showed on her face. It was apparent she needed the two "benevolent giants" that accompanied her for security and help but at the same time they made her disability that much more notable. "She needed their kindness, yet she resented it." On the streets of London, the dwarf woman probably felt self conscious. "She wore the peevish yet apologetic expression usual on the faces of the deformed." However, when trying on shoes in the shop, everything changes. All the women stared at her not for her disability but for the beauty of her feet. She loved this type of spotlight. Back on the street, the dwarf went back to her usual apologetic expression. For Woolf, the dwarf didn't stand out as much anymore, because she noticed everyone else's deformities as well. The point here is that no matter how apparent one's imperfections are, everyone has them and that they should be appreciated, not ridiculed. This is a very minute detail in the overall scheme of the essay as Woolf explores the perspective one can gain by paying attention to the journey while working towards a goal.