What is the theme of The Rpe of the Lock? Does this theme apply today? Your answer should be at least 250 words.

The theme of the "R-a-p-e of the Lock" by Alexander Pope is vanity and idleness of the 18th century aristocracy and it could be applied today.

This poem "R-a-p-e of the Lock" written by Alexander Pope is considered as the most outstanding example in the English language of the genre of mock-epic, but Pope doesn’t mock the form epic genre, but the heroic theme. Pope in his mock-epic poem "R-a-p-e of the Lock" thematizes the vanity of aristocracy, inspired by real incident of among the families of his acquaintance. He underscores the ridiculousness of a society in which values have lost all proportion, and the trivial is handled with the gravity and solemnity that ought to be accorded to truly important issues. The society fails to distinguish between what matters and what not and mock the men represented as unworthy of the form that is suited for heroic culture. In this case, Pope takes the matter of Petre and Arabella. Petre, Arabella’s suitor, who lusting after Arabella, had cut off a lock of her hair without permission, which later resulted in argument that had created a breach between the two families. He satirises it by comparing this trivial incident to the epic world of the gods.

Yes, the theme of this mock-epic poem could be relevant in modern day society. The satirical approach in of this poem on the theme of human vanity and ridiculousness of society that has lost any sense of proportion can be easily absorbed in post-modern thematization of society. This theme is all-time present as people can be often lost in their own ego and offended by trivial matters that are handled with gravity that ought to be accorded to truly important issues. This poem represents human everlasting foolishness.