uld ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁boys ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁and ▁adopted ▁their ▁high ▁spirits . ▁Her ▁mother ▁attempted ▁to ▁sub due ▁these , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁viewed ▁as ▁un se em ly ▁in ▁a ▁woman ; ▁according ▁to ▁Lucy ▁A ik in ' s ▁mem oir , ▁what ▁resulted ▁was ▁" a ▁double ▁portion ▁of ▁bash ful ness ▁and ▁ma iden ly ▁reserve " ▁in ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁character . ▁Bar ba uld ▁was ▁un com fort able ▁with ▁her ▁identity ▁as ▁a ▁woman ▁and ▁believed ▁she ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁live ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁ideal ▁of ▁woman hood ; ▁much ▁of ▁her ▁writing ▁would ▁focus ▁on ▁issues ▁central ▁to ▁women , ▁and ▁her ▁out s ider ▁perspective ▁allowed ▁her ▁to ▁question ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁traditional ▁assumptions ▁about ▁femin inity ▁being ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Bar ba uld ▁demanded ▁that ▁her ▁father ▁teach ▁her ▁the ▁class ics ▁and ▁after ▁much ▁p est ering , ▁he ▁did . ▁She ▁had ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁learn ▁not ▁only ▁Latin ▁and ▁Greek , ▁but ▁French , ▁Italian , ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁subjects ▁generally ▁de emed ▁unnecessary ▁for ▁women ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁pen chant ▁for ▁study ▁wor ried ▁her ▁mother , ▁who ▁expected ▁her ▁to ▁end ▁up ▁a ▁spin ster ▁because ▁of ▁her ▁intellectual ism . ▁The ▁two ▁were ▁never ▁so ▁close ▁as ▁Bar ba uld ▁and ▁her ▁father . ▁Yet ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁mother ▁was ▁proud ▁of ▁her ▁accomplish ments ▁and ▁in