The novel is [...] a valuable social document of its time. In its unambiguous expression of female sexuality as well as in its more ambivalent treatment of the "flapper," the novel reflects changing mores and self-perceptions of women in the post-World War One era. This essay will explore The Sheik from both a literary and a social perspective and will attempt to determine why the novel was so popular, particularly with respect to its American audience. (119)