Colin’s journals represent a secret aspect of his character that his closest friends and family don’t know about. The exposure of Colin’s journals to Penelope, and thereby the reader, supports the repeated idea that there is often more to a person than meets the eye—that someone can be more than they seem and more than the role assigned them by their family or community. Although Penelope has loved Colin for a dozen years, even she has not been able to penetrate his veneer as a charming idler—the character that Lady Whistledown captured and portrayed in her columns—to see his love for writing, talent for words, and desire for purpose. After Penelope suggests that he could publish his work, Colin’s writings symbolize the life’s purpose that he feels he has been lacking. He has used travel to distract him when frustrated or bored in London, but Penelope convinces him that his journals are an expression of talent. 

Penelope’s discovery of Colin’s travelogue is also a feature of the growing romance. The writing adds to his character another aspect that enchants and interests her and gives them a common passion. Meanwhile, sharing his journals with Penelope increases their closeness: Colin’s expression of vulnerability stirs her affections, and her partnership in his publication confirms their ability to work as a unit.