Chapter 2 Summary

The next day she visits London, still trying to write her speech on women and fiction, so she decides to visit the British Museum. She is looking for answers to the questions that were raised by her visits to the two schools. What conditions are necessary for the creation of works of art, she wonders.

Consulting the index, she finds so many books written about women—mostly by men—that she is overwhelmed. On the other hand, she does not find books about men written by women. She decides to limit her search to women and poverty.

She finds a wide disparity in what men think of women. Some think they are incapable of learning. Some find them better learners than men. Some people conclude that women are divine and that they should be worshipped. She concludes that most of the men writers...