"A woman could never have become Kafka" Yes, BECAUSE of what society (men - who basically made the woman „the other gender“ like she points out) do to women. She takes a look at what it means to be a woman - not biologically, in the society. Same with this: „How could Van Gogh have been born a woman?“ (…) - (s)he wouldn’t have never have painted van Gogh’s sunflowers“ - yes, because she wouldn’t have had the same opportunities (69)! Like she points out later, regarding to literature: „(…) giving her her freedom, she too will be a poet! Woman will find the unknown!“ (71). In the 20th century the book was of course controversial, influencing, most of the statements are still important today: -women not only needs to take care of herself, also of the men (45) and their stuff (regarding Care-Work etc. its still often like this nowadays) -incompability of having a children and a career (or especially at that time having a career at all) (47) -that girls and women believe less in themselves than men often do in themselves because of socialization („they are discouraged by the least criticism; they do not know that error can open the road to progress“) (59) -the way society looks at them, judges them; for clothes, behavior etc. and much more Some other quotes I liked: "If men were content to love a peer instead of a slave- as indeed some men do who are without either arrogance or an inferiority complex - then women would be far less obsessed with their femininity" "He would be liberated with their liberation. But that is exactly what he fears. And he persists in the mystifications meant to maintain woman in her chains."