Belinda's Character in Rape of The Lock

Ashi Dahiya
II Year, English Department
ASSIGNMENT
CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF BELINDA IN RAPE OF THE LOCK
Provided the instability of the English’s political conditions pointing towards the
insignificance of everything and the lack of printing press snatching away the
opportunities for repressed groups to feel as if they were a group. Before the eighteenth
century, while there were a lot of debates going on about gender roles in English
society, these debates were held behind closed doors amongst a small number of
educated men. These debates were rooted in the sudden change shift the English throne
saw from Charles I, who had a feminine touch in his ruling similar to that of the French,
to Oliver Cromwell, who was aggressively masculine similar to that of typical English.
Leading into the 18th century with an uproar of pamphlets, journals and other printed
writings, women now had easier access to the circulating ideas of gender roles and the
questions being put forth. This allowed women to participate in this ongoing popular
discussion and though it did not help them gain the role they desired, it certainly
opened the concept of gender and gender roles. The common societal idea for women
was that they were prone to vanity and were obsessed with their appearance. These
common notions are reflected in the writings of Alexander Pope, one of the most
prominent poets of the Augustan Age (1702-1745).
While many critics consider Pope as a sexist, Elizabeth Smith wrote in her paper, “I
suggest that […] he […] seeks to reveal the flaws of [his] society’s view of the nature of
women.” This argument can be heavily supported by Pope’s decision of attacking not
just women but also putting men in the line of fire in his poem Rape of the Lock, with
three notable moments. The sequence of these notable moments is highly reflective of
his main motive behind writing this particular work of his. Firstly, starting with the
minutely detailed description of Belinda’s dressing table and therefore suggesting the
significance it has for her; here, Belinda is being represented as a woman who fits
suitably well in the hilariously extreme notion of women shown by Pope. Secondly, the
failure of Sir Plume in his ability to articulate; here, Plume not only fails in articulating
but also fails his gender which was considered superior of the two. And thirdly,
Clarissa’s speech in Canto 5 being way ahead of time and thus making it difficult to be
comprehended by the listeners; now, this last notable moment gives us way to see the
shadow of Pope’s ideology in Clarissa’s and the ones who are unable to comprehend
comprises the society of that time.
Focusing on the first moment, on the character of Belinda, we can piece together why
Pope chose a female protagonist for his mock epic and the way he represents her. In
Pope’s Rape of the Lock, the fact that Belinda considers her beauty to be her most
valuable trait has been established early on as Pope uses words like “heav’nly image”,
“priestess” and “sacred rights” in Canto 1, he forces the reader to attach a sense of
godliness to Belinda’s beauty. Evidently, Belinda spends a lot of time and puts a lot of
efforts into her appearance for her visit to Hampton Court which again points at
Belinda’s belief of using her beauty as a weapon in her pursuit of a husband. Belinda is
so experienced in using this weapon that she can manipulate any man in her favour.
This decision has led critics to be distinguished in two sections. One section believing, as
Isobel Grundy puts it “[Belinda is] shallow, self-centered, frivolous, yet so beautiful that
men are [her] willing slaves”. This section focuses on the character and nothing more
than that. On the other hand, the second section seems to focus on Pope’s idea behind
the formation of Belinda. The idea of this section can be summarised in Valerie
Rumbold’s PhD dissertation in which she points out, the power of sexual attraction is a
central theme throughout the Rape of the Lock which was a trick Pope played to attract
the attention of the readers of his age. Nevertheless the approach we side with, Pope
mocks the female gender in both sections.
It can be obviously observed that Belinda is being controlled by the nymphs, from her
emotions to her appearance, and this could’ve been Pope’s intention as we later find out
that the one thing even the nymphs cannot control is Belinda’s heart which sheds light
on the idea of women being emotionally hysterical creatures who cannot control their
own emotions. The reader’s attention is dragged upon this idea as Belinda forgets all
about Ariel’s warning to “beware of man” when she receives a love letter from probably
baron, himself.
Belinda is a character who treasures her beauty and as the title would lead us, her locks,
according to her, enhances her appearance. After losing her precious locks with her
dignity and grieving for them heavily, she still wants them back. As 21st-century readers,
we would be expecting a character arc where she understands their insignificance but
for the 18th-century reader, the act of a self-obsessed woman not being able to change
was appropriate and thus was the choice Pope made. Pope wanted Belinda’s character
to be plain and simple and chose not to give her, what we would consider a satisfactory
ending. Belinda’s character was formed gorgeously by Pope to represent the follies of
the society he lived in and the character served its purpose well. As even today, we read
Rape of the Lock and try to piece together the idea of gender and gender roles through
our female protagonist, Belinda and through all her actions.

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Ashi Dahiya

II Year, English Department

CHARACTER ANALYSIS OF BELINDA IN RAPE OF THE LOCK

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