Charles as a symbol of disappointment
Parents want the best for their children, which is why they educate them and provide all the essentials they need to become responsible citizens. Old Moor is Charles' father, who gives him everything, but he disappoints his father by engaging in bad behavior. For instance, the police are after Charles because he seduced a noble girl and killed his fiancé. After these wrongdoings, Charles accumulates debts to start an outlawed band! Charles's decision to pursue illegal activities figuratively shows how children betray their parents. Moor sacrificed everything to help Charles lead a decent life, but the boy turned out to be a robber.
The symbolism of betrayal
Francis receives a letter about his brother, Charles, indicating that he has broken the law and is being pursued by police officers. Instead of Francis advising his father to look for Charles and hand him to the police, he advises him to disown Charles. The reader finds it satirical that Francis is envious of his brother despite his rogue behavior. Francis has never liked his brother Charles because he never received similar privileges from his father as Charles did. In the spirit of brotherhood, Francis was expected to side with Charles and ensure his freedom. However, Francis betrays his brother when he tells his father to disown him.
The symbolism of the faked death
The faked death symbolizes evil plans. Francis is determined to continue his evil plans by convincing his father and Amelia that Charles is long dead. At first, he convinced his father to withdraw his protection for Charles in court. Now, Francis has involved Herman to act like a stranger to convince Amelia that Charles is dead. The irony of this faked death is that Francis is only focused on inheriting the whole of his father's inheritance alone.
The robbers
The robbers symbolize inhumanness. Charles joins a gang of robbers residing in the forest and is shocked to learn what his fellow robbers do. Charles is pained to witness how the robbers rape women, kill children, and steal people's property. The robbers are not remorseful when they kill people. Instead, they consider killing people and raping women as a milestone in their career. The reader also finds it satirical that Charles, the captain of these robbers, is not convincing them not to kill and rape innocent women.
Amelia's relationship with Charles
Amelia's relationship with Charles symbolizes undying love. After Charles joins a robbery group, he leaves Amelia without notice. Francis, Charles's brother, comes up with a scheme to convince Amelia that Charles is dead to accept to marry Herman. Amelia refuses all attempts and urges to love another man. Amelia decides to wait for Charles as long as it takes. When Amelia reunites with Charles at last, she requests him to kill her when she realizes they can no longer be together.
