Although often described as a groundbreaking, even radical feminist novel for its portrayal of a spirited, independent-minded young woman who determines the direction her life will take, Belinda is hardly radical in its thematic depiction of the ideal woman. The novel brings together three characteristics of the ideal woman: strength of will, gentleness of heart, and rightness of action.

The character of Rachel Hartley would be familiar to Edgeworth’s readers. Rachel is offered as the typical addled-minded heroine of countless sentimental novels about love and marriage, frothy romances that Edgeworth regarded as simplistic and even dangerous. Beautiful, yes, innocent, certainly, but Rachel lacks the real-world depth that, for Edgeworth, is critical in defining the ideal woman. Rachel, kept apart from social interaction in the fairy tale-like atmosphere of the cottage in the remote woods, has stuffed her head with the silly clichés of romance novels and is ill-equipped to handle the responsibilities of real-time relationships. Her willingness to marry a man she barely knows indicates how at risk she is. Lady Delacour, for her part, is offered as a template for the woman who abdicates her heart in favor of convention, the pressures of class, and the expectations of privilege.