Though Maddy had not been so bold as to fall asleep during the lecture, as soon as she realized that this Forsyte lady was just there to reaffirm that she should not be on a broomstick and was probably only good for getting married and popping out babies, she did rather...zone out a bit. As such, her efforts on the assignment were vague later, especially given that she doubted she agreed with the instructor's own views.

Society often divides people based on those who came before them: if you're a girl, your mother's role will inform your own, and regardless of your sex, your father's fortunes will set you up for success or failure as the case may be. Society likes to place people in neat boxes so as to know what to do with them and crafts rules to help keep them there. It is rather a boring system, if one thinks about it, lacking both in creativity and nuance.