Structure

"Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown" is structured as an argumentative essay. As such, Woolf presents her claim – that Bennett's criticism of Georgian writers is unfounded – and proceeds to support it with various piece of evidence. For Woolf, her primary objective is not necessarily only to dispute Bennett's criticism; instead, she attempts to expand Bennett's realm of thinking and to introduce new questions about literature to her audience. This explosion occurs roughly halfway through the essay, when Woolf refers back to Bennett's claim that Georgian writers are not creating realistic characters. Instead of disputing this point directly, Woolf says, "But, I ask myself, what is reality? And who are the judges of reality?" (5). From that point on, the essay explores the concept of character in much more abstract terms, and introduces readers to the notion that reality, like characters themselves, is multifaceted. Furthermore, Woolf structures her essay around...