Thoughts on the Rape of the Lock - Clabo

on
My initial thoughts are that this is very much like a mixture of a satire, a epic poem, and the Vindication of the Rights of Woman. By that I mean it had the feel of an epic poem in that it had a great intensity of a disaster that was going to come, but it was a satire in that it depicted the clipping of Belinda's to be the catastrophic event. This reminded me of the Vindication when it showed the things women had to go through in order to be seen as beautiful, and I especially saw this connection when Ariel summoned an army of sylphs to keep Belinda's looks at her absolute appearance. Not only did they not protect her from a grave danger, but they envisioned the lessening of her beauty as the greatest of dangers and not the loss of her life. It almost portrayed it as if women were worthless without beauty. Does anyone else think that it is sad that there are still people in the world that actually view this thought that physical beauty is the only meaningful quality in a woman to be true? Also, did anyone else see these connections in the passages?

P.S. I commented on Zane's and Caroline's posts

Comments

Cade Wood said…
I didn't see the connections because I didn't understand what I read. But just by reading your posts, I can definitely see the connections. I think it is pretty cool that you noticed and related these readings to one another. Also, reading your post has helped me understand more of what is going on in the story. So, thanks for that.
November 11, 2019 at 9:52 PM
Ezra Kennedy said…
I definitely saw the similarities you mean. And judging by how men definitely can be I’m not surprised that there is a similarity. The men in both works treat women as their hair or heir makeup or the baseline of physical appearance that is the their beauty. They reduce them to physical objects to be toyed with and play dress up with, and to fulfil the (twisted) desires of the men around them. That’s more telling of the men than the women. It’s not that the women are merely physical beings, but it’s that the men only look at the physical qualities because they think with a physical (fleshly) mindset guided by desires and not respect or dignity.
November 11, 2019 at 9:52 PM
Addison Zanda said…
There's a sad temptation within men who try to view women for more than the person they're created to be. As men, our job is to love someone for who they are and not tear them down. Great connection to show the way in which we actually treat women because Lord knows we shouldn't keep those desires sustained in our minds.
November 11, 2019 at 10:14 PM
Sydney Snow said…
I made the connections that you have mentioned, even though I didn't really understand what was happening the whole time. It is not surprising that in those days and even still today that there are people who value beauty as everything. As little girls, most of us were taught to always look presentable, not to get dirty, and to put our best foots forward (at least thats how it is at my house). If you really think about it, looks do matter. Your appearance can be the difference in getting a job or not getting a job. There are more examples in which looks can be the deciding factor, but that is just a more common one. But, looks are not everything all the time.
November 12, 2019 at 5:34 AM
Post a Comment