Puttermesser & A Room of One's Own

In the beginning of Chapter 1, Puttermesser turns to Plato as the narrator in "A Room of One's own" turns to history in Shakespeare for answers. They each find inspiration in the literature they read and one can observe a connection between the history or fiction they read through their actions. I'm not as to what answers they are exactly looking for, but I believe they trust that the literature they pretain to will be their source of help or guidance.