# Female Adolescence and Sexuality in The Getting of Wisdom

> Theme guide for The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson.

The novel depicts the girls' furtive and often comical attempts to understand sex and reproduction through Bible verses and whispered theories, highlighting the repressive Victorian-era education that leaves them ignorant and curious.

## Where it surfaces

- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_getting_of_wisdom_se/chapters/i): Laura's pride in her curls and her fainting spell mark her as special and set her apart, reflecting early adolescent identity formation.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_getting_of_wisdom_se/chapters/iii): Laura's embarrassment about her appearance and her sensitivity to being seen as childish or babyish reflect adolescent self-consciousness.
- [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_getting_of_wisdom_se/chapters/xiii): The chapter centers on the girls' clandestine pursuit of sexual knowledge through Bible study, their distorted views of men and women, and Laura's awakening curiosity.
- [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_getting_of_wisdom_se/chapters/xiv): Laura's anxiety about attracting Bob and her lack of understanding of romantic expectations highlight her adolescent naivety.
- [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_getting_of_wisdom_se/chapters/xv): Laura's confusion and failure in the 'elementary science' of attracting boys contrasts with her peers' expertise, highlighting the pressures of adolescent sexuality and social performance.
- [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_getting_of_wisdom_se/chapters/xviii): Laura's invented narrative of a 'frustrated attempt on her virtue' reflects her grappling with adolescent sexuality and the social pressures surrounding female purity, influenced by her reading of 'Pamela.'
- [Gut und böse und Lust und Leid und Ich und Du](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_getting_of_wisdom_se/chapters/xxiii): Laura's jealousy of Evelyn's interest in men and her own vehement rejection of romance reflect adolescent struggles with emerging sexuality and social expectations.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_getting_of_wisdom_se/themes/female_adolescence_and_sexuality
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_getting_of_wisdom_se/themes