The narrative portion of the work is supposed to represent the final lessons that the teacher is giving to her students on how to best use the education that they have received at Harmony Grove when they enter into society.
The first focuses on the school and the week of lessons, and the second section is a collection of letters written between the students and to the teacher.
There are eleven individual lessons ranging from more academic topics such as reading and writing, to artistic pursuits, even to her opinions on more personal subjects of dress and friendship.
The section of the novel that contains the letters of Harmony Grove students shows how the girls put into practice the lessons that Mrs. Williams taught them.
The letters contain commentary on the fashions of the time, both sartorial and cultural, as well as the new graduates adjustments back into the world.