Susan the symbol
When the title of a story includes the name of a character, typically that is a suggestion that the reader consider the meaning of the character on multiple levels. One one level, she is a selfish old lady. One level deeper shows that perhaps, she isn't selfish or evil, but simply disenfranchised and left without a path forward. In that level she symbolizes the cunning of her problem solving. Also, her conniving can be seen as a symbol for nature and fate, because like fate, she orchestrates a plot for her daughter.
Gender dynamics
The death of the father leaves the story with the symbolic overtone of role replacement. The novel is about filling a spot in the family's life that is left vacant when the father dies. This is a symbol for gender role, because the girls are left to try and solve these problems with the limited resources that their community affords them. They have to understand the dynamics of their situation while hoping to find the right guy for the job.
The symbol of hope
Susan's daughter is a symbol for Susan's hope. On a petty level, this has to do with money and prestige. She has been demoted by the death of her husband, so her daughter is her hope of restoration and a return to wealth. Then again, the symbol suggests a deeper meaning, because Susan's hope is her daughter in other ways too. Susan's own life is continued through her offspring, and she hopes her daughter will become a mother in a family all her own.
The allegorical politeness
The story has a layer of social nicety that is symbolic, because it portrays clearly the way that people behave according to their intention, hiding their true self in many cases. The politeness of the culture is an archetypal institution that allows them to go about getting what they want without breaking any rules. They are going about their animal instincts (mating, dancing) while moving under the guise of politeness.
The stupid lord
The symbol for poor management is the stupid young lord who doesn't really understand the way life works. In a way, that makes him perfect for manipulation, but it means he might fail at his role. The reader might see echoes in his character of Susan's own husband whose poor money management left her as a poverty-stricken widow, fallen from their height of luxury. The young man represents masculinity without responsibility, because he looks powerful, but isn't. He is not executive.
