The protagonist, Arabella, attempts to navigate the realities of 18th-century society through the distorted lens of the heroic romances she obsessively consumes. Arabella believes that the world operates according to the exaggerated codes of chivalry and courtly love found in her books, leading her to interpret mundane social interactions as high-stakes dramas. She faces opposition from family members and suitors who attempt to correct her misconceptions, yet she remains steadfast in her literary-inspired worldview. The narrative framework utilizes a third-person perspective to highlight the irony between Arabella's expectations and the actual social norms of her time. This conflict forces the reader to observe the tension between individual imagination and the rigid expectations of the Enlightenment era.

Discussion often centers on the effectiveness of Lennox's parody in critiquing the popular literature of her time. Readers frequently highlight the sharp contrast between Arabella's internal fantasy world and the external reality of her social environment. Critics often note the book's significance in the development of the 18th-century novel and its influence on later writers. The pacing is generally described as deliberate, allowing for the full comedic impact of Arabella's repeated social errors to manifest. Many readers find the work to be a sophisticated examination of how media consumption shapes personal identity and social behavior.