Ludovica I think is great representation of an upper class woman because even in spite of her great wealth and alleged ‘freedom’ she was still anchored by the men and institutions in her life who would rather she remain stationary (either for her ‘safety’, their own comfort, etc). She had to acquire independence in the most destructive way possible because all polite avenues of recognition and research had been closed off to her. She could not attend university, she could not publish or publicly fund her research, she could not travel beyond Lucentia, her future had been almost exclusively delegated to the family. Yes she is selfish, yes she is ignorant, but this is no fault of her own—she had no other choice in a world which in spite of her wealth would not entertain her passions. If she hadn’t been then where do you think she would be now? Considerate women do not make history, women like Ludo do.
