The Ideal Woman

The author insists that her book has a moral lesson, and a large part of this is concerned with how a woman should act, and what an ideal woman would be like. For the author, the answer is a domestic woman, a good mother and wife, who acts respectably and sensibly but is still affectionate and kind. This is encapsulated in the character of Lady Anne Percival, who is presented as a role model for every young woman to aspire to. Characters such as Belinda and Mr. Hervey are so impressed by her that they are driven to try to remold Lady Delacour in her image. In doing so, they manage to make Lady Delacour happier, just as Lady Anne and her family are blissfully happy. From Lady Anne's example, Belinda can see that happiness does not lie in frivolity, riches and popularity, but in a...