woolf's father, sir leslie stephen, in line with the thinking of the era, believed that only the boys of the family should be sent to school. in delivering the lectures outlined in the essay, woolf is speaking to women who have the opportunity to learn in a formal setting. she moves her audience to understand the importance of their education, while warning them of the precariousness of their position in society. she sums up the stark contrast between how women are idealised in fiction written by men, and how patriarchal society has treated them in real life: