The Scandal of the Season by Sophie GeeLondon, 1711. Renowned beauty Arabella Fermor leads a lively life with masquerade balls, opera engagements, and social engagements filling her every day. Though she enjoys the attentions of a large circle of suitors, she fancies none of them.until she meets the strikingly handsome Robert, Lord Petre, the seventh Baron of Ingatestone, and embarks upon a forbidden affair that threatens to destroy reputations, fortunes -- even lives. As their affair and the political events of the era unfold, the young, penniless poet Alexander Pope observes the workings of high society from his spot on the periphery, using his wit to transform Arabella and Lord Petre's affair into the literary sensation of the era and gaining entrance to a world formerly closed to him. Based upon true events,The Scandal of the Seasonvividly brings to life the forbidden passions of key historical figures and political intrigues that inspired Alexander Pope's poem, "The Rape of the Lock," one of the most important literary works in history.Discussion Questions1. Two mysterious figures abduct and murder a priest in the prologue ofThe Scandal of the Season.
Before he dies, the priest says, "You are too late. Others already know." To what is he referring? Who were the Jacobites and what was their mission? How does their mission affect the lives of the characters inThe Scandal of the Season?2. Describe Alexander Pope's personality and temperament. What is his greatest weakness? Does your opinion of Alexander change over the course of the story?3. Compare the sisters, Martha and Teresa Blount. What motivates each of them? Who do you admire more and why? When you find out in the epilogue how they spent the rest of their lives, does it change your opinion of them?4. Consider Alexander's relationships and his opinions of women in the novel, including Martha, Teresa, Lady Mary Pierrepont, and Arabella.
What does he admire most in a woman -- beauty, intelligence or wit?5. What kind of a person is Arabella Fermor? Does she have an equivalent in today's society? Why does she enter into an affair with Lord Petre, risking her family's honor and position in English society -- and consequently, her future?6. Lord Petre pursues an illicit affair with Arabella and becomes involved in a plot to assassinate the queen although both have potentially dangerous consequences. Why drives him to take such risks? Do you think he is at fault for the disastrous ending?7. Alexander is sometimes scornful of London's literary community and also of high society, and yet he longs to become a part of both circles. How does the approval of each of these groups contribute to his success? Which do you think is more important to him?8. How does gossip influence the events and characters inThe Scandal of the Season?How do the characters use it to manipulate one another? Is gossip as powerful today as it was in eighteenth-century England? Why or why not?9. Sexual freedom was one of the most important, and perhaps most surprising, aspects of eighteenth-century culture.
In what ways do the characters' attitudes towards sex and love mirror our own? Do the men and women in the novel have an equal level of sexual freedom? What about men and women today?10. Discuss the options available to women in the eighteenth century, comparing the Blount sisters, Arabella, Catherine Walmesley, Lady Castlecomber, Lady Mary Pierrepont, and Molly Walker.11. During the time period whenThe Scandal of the Seasontakes place, anti-Catholic sentiments were on the rise, with laws being enacted to limit the rights of Catholics. Do you see parallels between the Protestant/Catholic situation in the eighteenth century and religious and political events today?12. "The Rape of the Lock" is considered a "mock epic"; in it Pope satirizes society and the affair between Arabella and Lord Petre. Read th.