Alexander Pope’s Unfair Treatment Of Women In The Rape Of The Lock

In 18th century English society, the rules governing gender and gender roles were clearly defined and strictly enforced. In comparison, members of today’s society are questioning the roles of gender, and in some cases genders themselves. In “The Rape of the Lock,” Alexander Pope describes 18th century London society as being controlled by a patriarchy. In this male dominated society, women are expected to sit in a corner, be silent, and look pretty. Pope’s mocking satire of Belinda’s feelings resulting from the “rape” of a lock of her hair diminishes her value as a person. Compared with today’s societal standards, Alexander Pope’s unfair treatment of women in “The Rape of the Lock” is mocking, demeaning, and condescending. Pope uses Belinda to symbolize the importance of female beauty in society.

Throughout “The Rape of the Lock,” Pope mocks Belinda’s pride in her physical beauty and her effort to look her best in front of her suitors. In a society dominated by men, a woman’s attractiveness determined her self-worth and place in social heriarchy. In this poem, the value of beauty cannot be overemphasized. Pope writes about Belinda “if to her share some female errors fall, /Look on her face, and you’ll forget ‘em all”. Moreover, in “The Rape of the Lock,” Pope describes Belinda as a goddess. Pope uses Belinda to portray a religious mockery, Pope writes “On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore, / Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore”. This verse is a representation of the lack of religious conviction, the cross is seen as an accessory than a symbol of faith. The Jews may admire her jewelry and the infidels may admire her breasts.

In addition, in “The Rape of the Lock,” Pope portrays Belinda as cunning in her physical beauty and her effort to escape unfair moral scrutiny. Pope writes about Belinda “Yet graceful ease, and sweetness void of pride, / Might hide her faults, if belles had faults to hide”. This is a second example of how Pope uses Belinda’s beauty to help her evade this dilemma. Furthermore, Belinda is aware of the deference others give her, “favors to none, to all she extends/ oft she rejects, but never once offends” (Pope II, 11-12). She is well liked and protected because of her beauty but hidden behind this beautiful façade. Pope reveals how cunning Belinda can be.

Pope effectively marginalizes women, and he viciously mocks Belinda. His aim at the end is to diminish Belinda’s worth, and by implication the worth of all women collectively. Traditional interpretation has tended to indicate that Pope’s intention with this story hinged on the idea of using beauty to utilize laughter and satire. However, Pope does not seem thoughtful of the incident for any other reason besides seeing it as an opportunity to dispence out his criticism of women. His extent of collective amusing a traditional thoughts and practices of women does not seem thoughtful in that direction. His treatment of male superiority is particularly telling, in the sense that rarely doe he captures a moment to ridicule and threaten male hood in the same complexion.

In today’s culture, women have a much larger role in society now than they did back in early eighteenth-century London. Women have gained the right to vote, hold powerful positions in business and governments, and are much less restricted by traditional gender roles. Even with these advancements, today’s women still face societal challenges. Pope, one of the most famous authors of satirical writing, uses sharp sarcasm against women in his poem. During this time, women lived in a patriarchal society and were viewed with negative stereotypes by men. Pope made it clear that men are far superior to women. Now, in a modern society, women are viewed more positively and treated far better than the women in Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock.”