In this essay I will look at The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope and 'Tam o' Shanter' by Robert Burns, and conclude if they have genuine morals and if so what are they and how do they compare to each other.
The Rape of the Lock in an overview seems to paint a picture of human vanity and the rituals of courtship. The poem appears to have a light almost trivial subject- the unwanted cutting of a woman's hair, however the fashionable/upper class world sees this as serious. In more of a detailed reading the poem also portrays the relationship between men and women, in particular with how they are more concerned with social status, physical beauty and material values as opposed to their morality and character.
This is shown by the character
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Therefore I would suggest that the moralising in The Rape of the Lock is serious in the sense that throughout it there is a continuous comparison between the significant and insignificant things, and Pope exploits the differences by employing the devices of a mock …show more content…
However the narrator plays a significant role and also suggests that the poem is merely to entertain in the sense that the narrator tends to keep the status quo. He seems to side with Tam, but he also expresses sympathy to the women “ a gentle dames it gars me greet/ to think how mone counsels sweet/ how monie lengthened sage advices/ the husband frae the wife despises”.9 This in itself shows that the poem is accessible for women and men, and it is involving the women and inviting them to see the funny side of this tale. The narrator and Tam and his friends seem to be celebrating male bonding, they all like drinking and they generally see women as inferior.
The mock heroic aspect of this poem seems to suggest that Burns in a light hearted way is mocking Tam and his views on women, however he also seems to sympathise with Tam. This would suggest that Tam is more of a lovable rogue that we all know and love and the narrator is not chastising him or moralising to him he is merely giving him a word of
Overall, Pope Francis places extreme concern on four areas, which are the idolatry of money, the option of the poor, inequality, and the common good/peace. Before reading Pope Francis’s book, I had a general familiarity with inequality and the option for the poor, but I was not completely aware of the idolatry of money in today’s society or peace in a Christian perspective. In Chapter 2, he starts talking about how we have found new idols in today’s society and how our relationship with money has taken control over not only our society, but also ourselves (Pope Francis, 55). Also, Pope Francis discusses how we as Christians need to realize that we are not exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice because it is required of everyone (Pope Francis, 201). In addition, he also talks about the vulnerability of certain groups and the progress of building people in peace, justice, and fraternity, which I will discuss in subsequent paragraphs. Prior to reading this book, I was aware of Pope Francis and some of his beliefs to an extent. I am Catholic, so I remember when he was first inaugurated as Pope and I remember hearing my family discuss some of his beliefs, but I was only somewhat aware of his style as a Christian leader. As a Christian leader, Pope Francis places emphasis on four areas of concern, which include: the new idolatry of money, option for the poor, inequality, and common good/peace.
He is exemplifying what it takes to be a virtuous person and if we follow these types of beliefs then the world we live in would be a much safer, and happier place. From this speech, I learned that when the Pope speaks about morality that his words are, in fact, infallible. Everything he said was unarguably the truth.
example of this In Candide the daughter of a Pope, a man who as a Catholic
To begin, in The Rape of the Lock, Alexander Pope uses satire to invoke a capricious, melancholy mood to illustrate the absurdity of fighting over the cutting of one's hair. Hidden inside this poem is a crafty criticism of the society that helps create the crisis over the stolen lock. A Society in which appearances ere more important to a person’s sense of identity, and treats the insignificant with utmost importance.
The subjugation of women is a key theme across my three chosen texts, Othello, The Great Gatsby and Wuthering Heights, that is presented both subtly and obviously through forms of physical, sexual and mental denegation. As a subtler example of subjugation, each woman is ultimately controlled and manipulated by a male figure, whether it be through Othello’s suppression of Desdemona upon believing she is unfaithful, Heathcliff’s domination over Isabella or Tom Buchanan’s economic control of Daisy via his financial stability within a class defined society. This confirms Evelyn Cunningham’s perception that, “Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their oppressors”, notably in the way that women’s roles are dictated and restricted by the domineering, patriarchal men in their lives, however there are still aspects of female rebellion in each of the texts.
...e relationship with men, as nothing but tools she can sharpen and destroy, lives through lust and an uncanny ability to blend into any social class makes her unique. Her character is proven as an unreliable narrator as she exaggerates parts of the story and tries to explain that she is in fact not guilty of being a mistress, but a person caught in a crossfire between two others.
This satire first begins with Pope's invocation to the muses, a higher power, emphasizing that the tragedy about to occur is above mere worldly issues, and a debate that belongs amongst the gods. Hence, Pope writes: "What dire offense from amorous causes springs, / What mighty contests rise from trivial things, I sing-This verse to Caryll, Muse! is due" (English,1110). It is comical that the "dire offense" is the cutting of Belinda's hair rather than a life-threatening...
“Well, Marianne…for one morning I think you have done pretty well…. You know what he thinks of Cowper and Scott; you are certain of his estimating their beauties as he ought, and you have every assurance of his admiring Pope no more than proper.” (Chapter 10)
...seful miscommunication between men and women. Lastly, when looking through the imagined perspective of the thoughtless male tricksters, the reader is shown the heartlessness of men. After this reader’s final consideration, the main theme in each of the presented poems is that both authors saw women as victims of a male dominated society.
Margaret is an intelligent, articulate, and ambitious woman who desires to rise up in social status by marrying a man of higher social rank. She attends to those above her, in hopes of elevating her status as she becomes closer to the upper-class. As a minor character, she plays a small yet crucial role in advancing Don John’s plot to slander Hero and spoil her wedding. As a lower-class character, Margaret serves as a foil to the rich girls, particularly Hero, who embodies every attitude and mindset Margaret does not. But she also offers an alternative perspective on the upper-class characters in the play. Because Margaret is victimized because of her social ambitions, punished for wanting to rise above her ...
Crampton, Caroline. "Why Crime Dramas Are Hooked On Rape." New Statesman (2014): 19. Galenet. Web. 13 Feb 2014.
She then talks about great men such as Mussolini, Pope, Napoleon and Goethe and how they viewed women. After discovering their opinions, the narrator is bewildered at her findings. These men are praised for their philosophies and wisdom, yet they all view women as being inferior. The narrator is pointing towards the fact that these men in reality are quite ignorant. During th...
...e ability to achieve anything in life. Hopefully, readers would learn from this novel that beauty is not the most important aspect in life. Society today emphasizes the beauty of one's outer facade. The external appearance of a person is the first thing that is noticed. People should look for a person's inner beauty and love the person for the beauty inside. Beauty, a powerful aspect of life, can draw attention but at the same time it can hide things that one does not want disclosed. Beauty can be used in a variety of ways to affect one's status in culture, politics, and society. Beauty most certainly should not be used to excuse punishment for bad deeds. Beauty is associated with goodness, but that it is not always the case. This story describes how the external attractiveness of a person can influence people's behavior and can corrupt their inner beauty.
There are three main issues that Pope talks about in his long poem "An Essay on Man." First, the poet evokes a timeless vision of humanity in which the universe is connected to a great chain that extends from God to the tiniest form of life. Secondly, Pope discusses God's plan in which evil must exist for the sake of the greater good, a paradox not fully understandable by human reason. Thirdly, the poem accuses human beings of being proud and impious. Pope feels that man claims more insight into the nature of existence then he possesses.
In the end, a story that appears to poke fun at the carefree lives of upper class women actually gives great appreciation to the subtle powers 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 skill in controlling men by simply playing the part of the vain shallow debutant. Whatever his intentions were it is clear that Alexander Pope did not in fact find the women of his time to be completely powerless, instead they were the driving forces of the household and of society.