On the surface, The Rape of the Lock is the story of an episode that caused a quarrel between two families in the form of an epic. You might think that in his version, Alexander Pope portrayed the women in the story as shallow, vain little girls, but on a deeper level, the women are crucial to the story. Aside from not being as powerless as they appear, each woman possesses a different type of power that contributes greatly to her character. Rather than being the expected vain and superficial characters of the era, the women of The Rape of the Lock possess more power than meets the eye. First of all, the main theme of the poem is Belinda. She is presented as an aristocratic, upper-class woman with no real duties or concerns. She is constantly surrounded by Sylphs whose sole purpose is to protect and pamper her. This is an example of its importance, the fact that it needs such protection initially suggests a certain level of importance. As her day goes on, she goes to bed quite late, takes her time to get ready and be pampered, then she leaves to enjoy her afternoon with friends. Not once does she need to ask anyone's permission or respond to anyone. For a woman in this era this is a big deal, women were generally seen as dependent on their husbands, but here Belinda can do whatever she wants. She also gets into a heated argument with the Baron: “See, fierce Belinda on the Baron's flies, with more flash than usual in her eyes; » (Song V, 75-76). Although Belinda may not triumph in the end, her power of free will stands in stark contrast to most 18th-century depictions of women. Another important female character in this story is Thalestris, one of Belinda's friends. She is also described as rather...... middle of paper...... hence it is believed that women may actually have similar, if not greater, power than men. Ultimately, a story that seems to be mocking. the carefree lives of upper-class women actually give great appreciation to the subtle powers that women hold over men. It could be argued that one of the most important powers of women is that of controlling men with their trivial problems and needs. Perhaps Pope was demonstrating women's ability to control men by simply playing the role of the vain, superficial debutante. Whatever his intentions, it is clear that Alexander Pope did not actually view the women of his time as completely powerless, but rather as the driving forces of the home and society. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt et al. 8th ed. New York: WW Norton, 2006. 1137-1155. Print.