--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Literature is open to everybody. I refuse…" description: "\"“Literature is open to everybody. I refuse to allow you, Beadle though you are, to turn me off the grass. Lock up your libraries if you like; but there..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/virginia-woolf-49_allow_literature-is-open-to-everybody-i-refuse_388285.jpg" --- # Literature is open to everybody. I refuse to allow you… ![“Literature is open to everybody. I refuse to allow you, Beadle though you are, to turn me off the grass. Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt, that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/virginia-woolf-49_allow_literature-is-open-to-everybody-i-refuse_388285.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/virginia-woolf-49_allow_literature-is-open-to-everybody-i-refuse_388285.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d8/virginia-woolf-49_allow_literature-is-open-to-everybody-i-refuse_388285.jpg) > ““Literature is open to everybody. I refuse to allow you, Beadle though you are, to turn me off the grass. Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt, that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intellectual freedom cannot be confined; attempts to restrict thought are futile against the mind’s liberty. **In simple terms:** The mind is free despite external barriers. Key Takeaway Defend mental freedom against censorship. Themes freedom literature mind resistance Mood defiant inspirational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - library policy debates - academic censorship - personal study habits - creative writing Key Concepts Literary criticism philosophy human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can we protect intellectual freedom? - What role do institutions play in safeguarding thought? A Different Perspective Physical barriers may still limit access to resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allow/) [Allow Beadle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allow-beadle-3507726/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Literature Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature-open-1540944/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Refuse Allow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refuse-allow-882256/) [Set Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/set-freedom-2721509/) ## Related quotes > [“I refuse to allow you, Beadle though you are, to turn me off the grass”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/i-refuse-to-allow-you-beadle-though-you-are-to-turn-me-off-the-grass/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/lock-up-your-libraries-if-you-like-but-there-is-no-gate-no-lock-no/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-no-gate-no-lock-no-bolt-that-you-can-set-upon-the-freedom-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [I refuse to allow President Trump and Republicans to take away our right to quality, affordable healthcare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-northam/i-refuse-to-allow-president-trump-and-republicans-to-take-away-our/) [Ralph Northam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-northam/) > [Literature may open a third eye in the middle of the reader's forehead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/literature-may-open-a-third-eye-in-the-middle-of-the-reader-s-forehead/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [I want literature to open all the doors that I can't open by myself, and to allow me to see things that I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ronk/i-want-literature-to-open-all-the-doors-that-i-can-t-open-by-myself/) [Martha Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ronk/) > [Freedom means something when it has escaped something! Those people who escaped things their inner cages, cages set by others around them, is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/freedom-means-something-when-it-has-escaped-something-those-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A writer must refuse to allow himself to be transformed into an institution, even if it takes place in the most honorable form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/a-writer-must-refuse-to-allow-himself-to-be-transformed-into-an/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [I refuse to allow any man-made differences to separate me from any other human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-refuse-to-allow-any-man-made-differences-to-separate-me-from-any/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Don't you dare cry. 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Tell me that you will not tolerate this relationship being over just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-north/tell-me-that-you-refuse-to-allow-me-to-be-so-stupid-tell-me-that-you/) [Freya North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-north/) > [“It takes valor to identify your breaking points and refuse to allow people/circumstances use them to force you say/do things you don’t believe .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assegid-habtewold/it-takes-valor-to-identify-your-breaking-points-and-refuse-to-allow/) [Assegid Habtewold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assegid-habtewold/) > [I refuse to allow the excuses in my mind to grow into giants that keep me from living up to my full potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-king/i-refuse-to-allow-the-excuses-in-my-mind-to-grow-into-giants-that/) [Shaun King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-king/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? 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It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. 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No matter what happens, you can choose what and how to think, act, and speak!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-has-power-over-you-unless-you-allow-it-no-matter-what-happens/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you don't allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [While we welcome people of all faiths in America we cannot be so naive as to expect all countries to do the same. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-huffington/while-we-welcome-people-of-all-faiths-in-america-we-cannot-be-so/) [Michael Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-huffington/) > [“Allow yourself some happiness, so that I can be a part of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-mahaffey/allow-yourself-some-happiness-so-that-i-can-be-a-part-of-it/) [Montgomery Mahaffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-mahaffey/) > [I've cosponsored legislation to establish a lend-lease program to simplify bureaucratic barriers and allow a speedier transfer of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/i-ve-cosponsored-legislation-to-establish-a-lend-lease-program-to/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“Sometimes life doesn't allow us to be free to fly wherever we'd like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elana-johnson/sometimes-life-doesn-t-allow-us-to-be-free-to-fly-wherever-we-d-like/) [Elana Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elana-johnson/) > [I am that which I am, and I am willing to allow all others to be that which they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/i-am-that-which-i-am-and-i-am-willing-to-allow-all-others-to-be-that/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [By letting go, you allow everything to find it's rightful place. 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