Throughout the whole show, there are quite a few references to real-life famous women who achieved success in fields mostly dominated by men. For instance, in one of Beth's school classes, the teacher is reading a quote from a poem 'Not Waving But Drowning' written by Stevie Smith. She won the Queen's Gold Medal for poetry and was awarded the Cholmondeley Award for Poets in 1966.

Another example—in her house, Beth's adoptive mother Alma had many prints by 19th-century French artist Rosa Bonheur. Just like Beth, Bonheur found success at a young age among the space of French painters, which then was mostly dominated by men.