Marriage for Economic Reasons
In this time period marriage is pretty much a purely economic arrangement. Women are not allowed and must rely upon husbands to provide for them, so they are seen as bargaining chips. A man will marry a woman if she provides a formidable dowry from her father and if the union will bring him some social advantage. In the case of Lucinda, she is desirable for just exactly her father's money and reputation. Of all her suitors, only Myrtle loves her for who she is. The others seem to be forced into the predicament by their parents. Even Lucinda herself has no say in whom she marries because her marriage is a matter of such direct importance to her parents. Because of these dramatic social arrangements, the young people of this story seem to be trapped in a vicious system which is designed to deny them true happiness in their relationships.
Oppression of the Young
Each of the young characters of this play find themselves the victims of their parents' intentions. They are being played as pawns in a much larger game which is acceptable but leads to multiple heartbreaks and ruined friendships. When Mrs. Sealand has the opportunity, she tries to forcibly marry Lucinda to Cimberton because she does not want her to be married to Bevil Jr. The politics at play here are formidable enough to warrant outright oppression. These young people's futures, romantic partners, social position, and inheritance are all being manipulated by their parents, not necessarily for their own good. In most cases, the parents are hoping for the most favorable outcome for themselves and not their children, willing to sacrifice the desires of the youth for their own economic gain. Despite their obvious victimhood, the young people remain steadfast in their intentions. They try to remain true to their own moral codes even though their parents are complicating matter immensely.
Fate
The resolution of the plot revolves around the astonishing discovery of Indiana being Mr. Sealand's long-lost daughter. When she is proven to be his heir, she subsequently has a right to half of her father's fortune. This means that Lucinda's dowry and inheritance are sliced in two, making her much less desirable as a wife. Although this may seem unfortunate, actually it is the smiling good fortune of fate. Since Lucinda neither wanted to marry Bevil Jr. nor Cimberton, she is suddenly free from their annoying suits. She is allowed to marry the much less wealthy Myrtle, who really does love her. For his part, Bevil Jr. now finds that his true love -- Indiana -- is an acceptable match for him socially, considering her newly discovered parentage. Indiana is luckiest of all for she is welcomed into a family which she had been missing. Her prospects are dramatically changed, but more importantly she finds a father and a family. All of these happy endings are only possible because of the extremely unlikely chance event of discovering Indiana's heritage. Fate smiles kindly on these characters, as the author would have readers believe because of the young people's virtue.
