In the book "The Woman Who Did", the following extract is a woman, Herminia, explaining why she left mainstream school in Girton. Alan, the other character, fills in his explanation. “So I would not stop at Girton, partly because I felt that life was one-sided, – our girls thought and talked of nothing else on earth except Herodotus, trigonometry and the higher sciences.” culture, - but partly also because I wouldn't want to depend on any man, not even my father. It left me freer to act and think as I wanted. So I threw Girton into the sea and went to live in London. . "I understand," Alan replied. “You wouldn't let your education interfere with your education.” This book was about a woman, who had had a child out of wedlock, and was trying to make life better for her child and for herself. In both cases there is someone who wants to do something, but school blocks their life. So, from the excerpts, the meaning of Allen's quote was that although school is important, it is not your life and should not stop you from doing what you want to do?