Intellectual freedom depends on material conditions. Poetry depends on intellectual freedom. And women have always been poor. In these two classic essays of feminist literature, Woolf passionately advocates for women's intellectual freedom and their role in resisting the urge towards fascism and conflict. In "A Room of One's Own," she examines centuries of restrictions imposed on women while simultaneously celebrating the creative achievements of female writers who have overcome these obstacles. In this first history of women's writing, she describes the importance of education, financial independence, and equal opportunities for creative freedom. "Three Guineas" was written under the threat of fascism and impending war. It is a radical articulation of Woolf's pacifist politics and explores the causes of gender inequalities as well as how women's historical outsider status makes them crucial.