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'Intellectual freedom depends on material things. Poetry depends on intellectual freedom. And women have always been poor...'In these two classic essays of feminist literature, Woolf argues passionately for women's intellectual freedom and their role in challenging the drive towards fascism and conflict. In A Room of One's Own she explores centuries of limitations placed on women, as well as celebrating the creative achievements of the women writers who overcame these obstacles. In this first history of women's writing, she describes the importance of education, financial independence, and equality ofopportunity to creative freedom. Three Guineas was written under the threat of fascism and impending war. A radical articulation of Woolf's pacifist politics, it investigates the causes of gender inequalities and the ways in which women's historic outsider position make them crucial in the prevention of war.Both these works started life as talks to groups of young women, and their engaging wit and informality establish Woolf as one of the twentieth-century's greatest essayists. Their arguments continue to reverberate in feminist discourse to this day.ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
About the author
Virginia Woolf wurde am 25. Januar 1882 in London geboren und wuchs im großbürgerlichen Milieu des viktorianischen England auf. Der Tod ihrer Mutter 1895 und ihrer älteren Schwester führte zu einer schweren psychischen Krise, deren Schatten sie nie mehr loslassen sollten. 1912 heiratete sie Leonard Woolf. Zusammen gründeten sie 1917 den Verlag The Hogarth Press. Bereits in jungen Jahren bildete sie gemeinsam mit ihrem Bruder den Mittelpunkt der intellektuellen "Bloomsbury Group". Ihr Haus war eines der Zentren der Künstler und Literaten der Bloomsbury Group. Ihre Romane zählen zu den Meilensteinen moderner Literatur. Zugleich war sie eine der einflußreichsten Essayistinnen ihrer Zeit. Aus Furcht, geistig zu umnachten, nahm sie sich am 28. März 1941 nach einem Bombenangriff das Leben.
Summary
In these two classic essays of feminist literature, Woolf argues passionately for women's intellectual freedom and their role in challenging the drive towards fascism and conflict. She raises questions concerning militarism, education, and social and gender inequality that are relevant to this day.
