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The outsider will say, 'in fact, as a woman, I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman my country is the whole world.' And if, when reason has said its say, still some obstinate emotion remains, some love of England dropped into a child's ears by the cawing of rooks in an elm tree, by the splash of waves on a beach, or by English voices murmuring nursery rhymes, this drop of pure, if irrational, emotion she will make serve her to give to England first what she desires of peace and freedom for the whole world.

Virginia Woolf#33

FeminismIdentityEmotionPatriotismPeace

About this quote

What does it mean?
Woolf argues that women should view the world as their country but use deep emotional ties to their homeland to fight for global peace and freedom.
In plain terms
Women belong to the whole world but can use love for their home to help everyone.
What can you take from it?
Use local love to fuel global progress.

Where it applies

  • activism
  • national identity
  • global movement

Putting it to work

  • advocating peace
  • leveraging local ties
  • global citizenship

Questions to consider

  • What is your country?
  • How does emotion guide action?

Another view

The view that women have no country is a specific historical argument that may not apply universally.

More from Virginia Woolf

  1. Directly the mulberry tree begins to make you circle, break off. Pelt the tree with laughter.

    Permalink to quote #32
  2. The artist after all is a solitary being.

    Permalink to quote #34
  3. Though we see the same world, we see it through different eyes. Any help we can give you must be different from that you can give yourselves, and perhaps the v…

    Permalink to quote #31

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