Estate imagery
This novel belongs in another time, back when the UK was largely an estate society. This means that esteemed and wealthy families live in homes which are replete with ornate architecture and interior design. The beauty of this setting is a motif of the genre as it provides a natural accent to the politeness and charm of their high society. The Victorian influence in the novel makes the reader more aware of social opinion, much in the same way a marriage novel might.
Friendship
The major story arc is defined by the blooming imagery of friendship which grows between Belinda and Lady Delacour through their getting-to-know-one-another, through their difficult conflicts, and then into Lady Delacour's healing. As Lady Delacour's body defeats breast cancer, Lady Delacour's mind defeats her self-imposed isolation. Yes, there is merit and beauty in the social dance that this culture demands of each character, but it can not come at the expense of personal health or wellness.
Disease, injury, and madness
The novel features various ailments which plague the characters. Through long seasons of serious loneliness and isolation, the women encounter mental health issues which make them paranoid and unlikely to become intimate with friends. Through a frightening encounter with breast cancer, Lady Delacour and Belinda come close to death and suffer the fear of death together. The personal injury that is caused by Lady Delacour's criticism of completes this imagery by showing that society can also cause serious suffering. The imagery is a portrait of human suffering.
Social expectation
For Belinda, social expectation is an abstract pressure which shapes her opinion of self, her behavior in daily life, and her journey toward confidence and community. She starts the novel as a perfect pariah (because of harshly enforced social expectations about women and marriage). Through the novel, she navigates expectations in a way that could be ingratiating except that she does not want anything but love and community. The accusation of ingratiating behavior is what Lady Delacour levels against Belinda when Belinda confronts her, which shows that people suspect the worst of Belinda.