Bandits motif
The motif of bandits is present throughout the novel, largely because Dicky suggests becoming bandits at the very start, when they are sharing ideas and brainwaves about how to come upon treasure, and he is largely ignored until the seemingly better ideas have been used up. The children think that being a bandit might be a good way to make money since there are many ways of doing so, including being a bandit on the Heath, being a bandit at the side of the road, like a highwayman, and being a bandit by kidnapping their friend next door for ransom. The motif also appears as a way of showing Dora's character, as she is completely against the idea, forbidding the others to be bandits at all, and representing her mother in the way in which she attempts to show her siblings that it is wrong. When Dora is out of town visiting her Godmother, the other children become bandits. This illustrates their relationship with Dora and the way in which they subvert her wishes in much the same way they would another adult, even though she is still a child. It also proves to everyone that being a bandit is not only wrong, it is also not a good way to make money or find treasure. The motif is used to teach readers a valuable lesson and also to bring a sense of adventuresome realism to the children in the book that the reader can relate to.
Absence from School as a Symbol
The Bastable children's prolonged absence from school is a symbol of the fallen fortunes of the House of Bastable. School is expensive, not just in paying fees but in all the other things that they need in order to attend. The explanation given for them not going anymore is never related to lack of money but it is implied. The fact that as soon as they have a benefactor in the Indian Uncle they return to school is also a symbol of the condition of their fortunes.
Tattered Carpets and Furnishings Symbol
The obviously tattered carpets, peeling wallpaper and un-repaired furniture are a symbol of financial woes within the Bastable household. This is not just a symbol for the reader but seems to be a symbol that adult characters in the novel also understand, for example, when the butcher arrives to discuss their bill at his shop, he immediately notices the worn carpet and realizes that Mr Bastable is not able to pay the bill. This becomes both a symbol within the novel and also to the reader.
Get-Rich-Quick Schemes Symbol
E. Nesbit, the book's author, was an outspoken opponent of newspapers and what she saw as their complicity in conning the general public by running advertisements for get rich quick schemes that they knew were only get rich quick schemes for the person running them. The get rich quick schemes that the children decide to invest in are a symbol of her viewpoint; the sherry that they purchase to sell turns out to be impossible to sell, and the investment opportunity which is little more than a pyramid scheme is so bogus that the man who is running it will not let them invest, feeling guilty that children would obviously lose their money if they did so. The fact that the person in charge of the scheme is also the person in charge of putting the ads in the newspaper also symbolizes the newspaper's involvement in the con.
Dickens Allegory
On several occasions Oswald compares the family to a family that would appear in a Charles Dickens novel. As the book continues the children are somewhat allegorical of a Dickens novel in that they are almost destitute and in the nick of time a generous benefactor comes into their lives and saves the day. This allegory is most apparent when their Indian Uncle arrives to change their fortunes. It is another example of a literary device used by the author and recognized by both the reader, and by one of the characters in the novel, in this case, Oswald, who mentions the fact that they need a Dickensian generous benefactor on numerous occasions.
