“The capacity to represent, portray, characterize, and depict is not easily available to just any member of just any society; moreover the ‘what’ and ‘how’ in the representation of ‘things’ while allowing for considerable individual freedom, are circumscribed and socially regulated” (Said p80).  

This means that the concept of how things in the novel are represented is a means to keep the subordinate from rising. For example,  Mrs. Merton doesn't shake Olivia's hand when they meet, makes assumptions about the food she eats, and constantly comments about the color of Olivia's skin to remind Olivia that she is still an outcast. Augustus does the same when he lets Olivia fall in love with him. Augustus already has a wife and is going after Olivia's money and he lies to her to get what he wants. All of these events are meant to limit and control the amount of respect Olivia receives as well as undermine her abilities.

The harsh representation could also be the reason why the author of this novel chose to remain anonymous because the idea of representation is actually used to exploit all the mistreatment. This concept emphasizes the book's genre of realistic historical fiction.