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Premium Content The Lapdogs of Swarthy Warriors: Gender Reversal in Pope’s The Rape of the Lock

By Jessica Rae Waggoner - April 04, 2006

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In The Rape of the Lock, Alexander Pope utilizes a reversal of gender roles to sculpt a subtle societal critique of the leisurely life of belles and beaux. Through this satirical device, Pope exposes the aristocratic pretensions of this heavily ornamented and indolent lifestyle. He emasculates his male characters and applies warrior-like traits to…

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