Marriage
One of the most significant themes in the novel is marriage. Throughout the novel, Lucilla (its main character and protagonist) deals with countless men who pursue her. Lucilla likes some of the men; however, she doesn't like others. Lucilla's interactions with potential suitors, as well as the expectations and rumors surrounding her marital prospects, consume much of the novel. They also provide ample material for Oliphant to critique and satirize Victorian attitudes towards marriage. In Oliphant's mind, marriage is not the end-all-be-all; the process of finding someone to marry was likewise burdensome and not equal. The novel presents marriage both as a societal expectation and as a tool for social mobility (largely for women). However, that also creates a question in readers' minds: do the married couples really love each other, or are they marrying each other for the sake of convenience?
The conflict between individual ambition and societal expectations
Lucilla's character embodies the tension between individual ambition and societal expectations in the patriarchal, Victorian world she lives in. While she possesses clear aspirations and a distinct idea of her place in the society of Carlingford, she constantly navigates and, at times, challenges the societal norms and expectations that try to limit her from becoming who she truly is. But Lucilla is not the only character who struggles to balance her individual ambitions and desires with societal expectations. Characters throughout the novel are often forced to face decisions that compel them to balance personal desires against what is expected of them by society. This conflict underscores the oftentimes burdensome expectations many people (but especially women) faced during Victorian-era England. It also shows how society has shifted from being collectivist to individualist.
