A female bildungsroman, it traces the quest of a young woman in search of self-definition and autonomy.
The novel comments upon the oppression of women in mid-nineteenth-century New England and challenges the religious and social norms of the time.
Stoddard's novel traces the education and development of a young female in American middle-class society.
The protagonist, Cassandra Morgeson, is educated by a series of journeys she makes throughout her youth and early adulthood.
Cassandra escapes the boredom of domestic life through stories of adventure and exploration.
Surrey instills in Cassandra a restlessness that drives her quest for knowledge and experience.
Excessively religious, Grandfather Warren takes it upon himself to put Cassandra in her place.
Charles's dark sensuality and power awakens Cassandra's sexuality, which is an integral part in her self-discovery.
Their affair is cut short in a tragic accident that costs Charles his life.
Cassandra escapes with a scar across her face, which remains with her as a constant reminder of the affair.
She becomes responsible for managing the household and taking care of her younger sister, Veronica.
Cassandra resents her inherited role and envisions the rest of her days spent in monotony and misery.
Some critics see this child as a physical representation of how Veronica's search for independence and autonomy has been stunted by her marriage.
She challenges the social and religious norms in her search for spiritual, sexual and economic independence.
She lives to take care of her father and has learned to cope with her role by shifting identities.
Cold, ruthless and a religious patriarch, Grandfather Warren is oppressive and manipulative.
The novel was lost to literary history for over a hundred years, perhaps because of scholars’ inability to categorize it.