The Letters
The letters written by the author to her personal friends symbolize adventure and exploration. All the letters sent to Montagu's personal friend's details tell stories about her adventures. For instance, Montagu writes letters about the Ottoman Empire and her personal experiences.
The symbolism of familiarization
Lady Montagu is the symbol of orientalism throughout her adventures in the East. The reader is not surprised to learn that the author has pre-conceived ideas of the East even before fully interacting with the locals to substantiate her conclusions. It is also interesting to learn that the author is an easily adaptive woman because, despite her social status, she interacts with Turkish women and even accepts to take a bath with them.
The symbolism of the patriarchal system
The patriarchal system is embodied by the oppression of women in the East, as demonstrated by the author. During her stay in the Ottoman Empire, the author interacted with several women, and she learned that they are oppressed and denied opportunities to compete with men in all aspects.
Religion as a symbol of suppression
Sadly, instead of religion serving as a symbol of salvation for all genders, it symbolizes suppression against the female gender. The author learns that in the East, men use religion to control women and use them as objects. For instance, religion dictates that every woman must cover her face and wear veils by force. Similarly, religion commands women to be submissive to their husbands without question. All these traditions that retrain women from having their freedom are the absolute opposite of Western women, like the author.
The Ottoman Empire
The author figuratively uses the Ottoman Empire to show how the kings and princes used their power to enrich themselves and oppress the poor. When the Prince gave orders to kill the people of the lower class, an event in Turkey illustrated that the Ottoman Empire was suppressive to the people considered poor. The people were protesting for their rights, but the Prince said that they are faceless and nameless.
