The Right to Write

"...give her a room of her own and five hundred a year, let her speak her mind and leave out half that she now puts in, and she will write a better book one of these days" (98).

In this quote, Virginia Woolf explains how in a hundred years, Mary Carmichael's talent for writing will go from producing an average novel to something poetic. Woolf believes that in some year's time, women will gain more respect and more opportunities. She has hope for a future where women's opinions are just as valued as men's and their skill for writing is encouraged.

On page 112, Woolf says "intellectual freedom depends upon material things. Poetry depends upon intellectual freedom" (112). The women of Woolf's time, however, did not possess this freedom. Although I do not agree that the freedom of the thinking mind depends on the possession of material goods, I do agree with how she states poetry and intellectual freedom are interconnected. In order to be a good poet, one must be free flowing of the mind so that your words are able to free flow on the page. This fluent language can only be achieved by a liberated mind - free from distraction, financial problems, and personal worries. This is why Woolf stresses a need for one's own room. It symbolizes intellectual freedom, where a writer can leave her worries at the door and produce great poetry.

Throughout the remainder of the novel (specifically on page 116), Woolf admits that women's rights have come a long way. She does not, however, think enough progress has been made. Woolf has hope for a future where women's rights (and writings) continue to grow and flourish for years to come.