A reference to a 1779 novel, Columella, or The Distressed Anchoret, a colloquial tale by Richard Graves. Susan Allen Ford points out how this rather esoteric reference to literature makes Elinor more alike her mother than previously indicated.

The narrator often switches between the minds of Elinor, and that of Marianne's. The usage of "mama" gives readers a clear knowledge of whose mind we are in - in this case, we are in the younger character (Marianne's) mind. Elinor, the older character, typically refers to her mother as Mrs. Dashwood; much more maturely. This shows the way that ladies carried themselves in this time.