“The Rape of the Lock" is a mirror to social life of eighteenth century

Q No3:

“The Rape of the Lock" is a mirror to social life of eighteenth century England. Elaborate.

Or

Discuss Pope's realism.

Or

Discuss “ The Rape of the Lock” as a social criticism.

Answer:

A great work of art is always the most typical product of its own time. It reflects the life of its age in itself. If it fails to do so, it will also fail to be universal in its appeal.

Without any doubt “The Rape of the Lock” is a great work of art and it reflects the social and cultural life of its time. “The Rape of the Lock” is concerned with the aristocratic society and presents a charming picture of it. The aristocracy of the 18^th century English society was a newly formed class. The aristocratic people were primarily urban with easy flow of money from trade and commerce. They spent their time in idle gossips, back biting, playing games of cards, and in frivolities of sex and love games. Sex intrigues  and courting lies at the parties were their chief hobbies. Being free from the problems of earning their bread they were living a fashion crazy life. The “Rape of Lock” is a mirror of such a kind of society.

Lord Peter and Belinda are representative figures of that society. The details of the daily routine of the gentle men and women are given in an entertaining way. They raise from the luxurious beds at 12’O clock in the noon and it was done by the licking of the lap dogs.

The strayed life of the women is clear from their toilet ceremony. The ladies used to spend more time on applying beauty products to them than anything else. Belinda's preparation at the dressing table is not only ironic and amusing but meaningful too. For many of them like Belinda, dressing table was sacred place like the place of worship. Pope gives minute details of the ladies constant concern for enhancing their beauty effect with artificial means. They undertake great pains to make their hair curly. They were more anxious to win the heart of the choicest beaus . For that purpose, they spent hours at dressing table and

dance and play games of cards with gentlemen of their own choice.

In other words, these ladies were devoid of any real moral sense or any real meaningful purpose in life. To them, husbands were no more important than lap dogs. The death of husbands affected them only as much as the death of lap dogs or breaking of china jars. For them reputation was all, but honour was almost equal to nothing. Loss of chastity was not a serious matter for them. To them church meant nothing but to miss a ball was a serious issue for them.

Gentlemen of that age were also not better than ladies. They were chiefly concerned with getting richer and carrying on sexual adventures with fashion crazy ladies. Lord Peter is a real portrait of the youth of that age. For them all time was a leisure time. To them love letter were more sacred than the Bible. Flirtation with the young ladies was both their hobbies and

vacations. Lord Peter’s sense of victory and triumph at the cutting of Belinda's lock of hair is symbolic of the shallowness, triviality and emptiness of the youth of the contemporary aristocratic class. Their most favorite games were games of playing cards, symbolic of futility and laziness.

Pope also presents the picture of other classes of the society of his time. Among people of other classes are the judges, the merchants and others. Judges did not take their job seriously, nor were the jury-men careful and patient about their responsibility. The judges and jury-men act impatiently and care more for their meal rather than cases. The merchants were also concerned with making money at the exchange.

Pope also gives satirical remark at the coffee-drinking habit of the age, which was regarded as the sign of aristocratic fashion.

To sum up it can be said, such a wasteful kind of life was led by the fashionable people of Pope’s time. Undoubtedly, Pope has given a realist picture of his age but in a bit satirical way. Though, it does not give a complete picture of Pope’s age, yet it presents a real picture of one particular class of his time, aristocratic class, and here its completeness is beyond any doubt.