Alexander Pope did not speak kindly of women. Why? At that time, women were
viewed as decidedly inferior to men (made that way by god himself)!
Pope's views might be influnced by Pope being a homosexual. In addition,
Pope might have felt inadequate as a Roman Catholic from an obscure family,
as well as another major reason. Pope's growth was stunted by Pott's disease
(a form of childhood tuberculosis that progresses with time to worsen the
curvature of the spine).
Pope's limitations were satirized: Pope was depicted as a hunchbacked ape.
Pope was c. 4'6" high with a long nose (the nose representing his authority/penis
of course). Bluestocking women were often depicted with large noses symbolizing
male virility as female intellect. At the time misshapen or missing noses were
associated with syphilis.
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