Gender Roles

Women's limited roles are explicitly debated, with Miss Basden and Emily discussing women's suffrage, divorce laws, and being classed with 'paupers and idiots,' while men like Francis Fletcher patronizingly praise women's 'province.'

Miss Lydia asserts that preaching is not a woman's business, while Emily and Theresa discuss the limitations placed on women in marriage and work.

The chapter features a heated debate between Francis Fletcher and Miss Basden on women's intellectual capabilities, suffrage, and divorce laws, highlighting conflicting views on women's place in society.