The symbolism of cultural beliefs
Culture is a critical point of discussion in the book, and the author uses Alovisa’s influence to get married to a man of her choice to emblem the obstacles of culture to women. Alovisa is a wealthy and beautiful woman, and she cannot wait for the man of her dreams to approach her. For instance, Alovisa confesses her love for D'Elmont, but she does not want to make the first impression because that goes against cultural expectations. Culturally, women are not supposed to pursue men, and they should wait for their suitors to approach them. Consequently, Alovisa decides to write an anonymous love letter to D'Elmont, hoping that he can recognize her.
The convent
The convent symbolizes tranquility and peace of mind. Alovisa is in love with D'Elmont, but she realizes that he is seeing Amena. Amena does not know that Alovisa is interested in her lover and when she discovers the truth, she suspects that he is cheating on her. To keep away rivalry, Alovisa convinces Amena’s father to take his daughter to a convent to over her lover for D’Elmont. Amena agrees to go to the convent because she will find peace of mind there.
True love
True love is symbolized D’Elmont’s inner acceptance when he first meets Melliora. Initially, D’Elmont got married to Alovisa because of her wealth. However, he regretted his decision to marry Alovisa when he saw Malliora. Consequently, the symbolism of inner acceptance signifies that true love cannot be bought with money.
