Scholarly Analysis of Godey's Ladies' Book
The piece of primary prescriptive literature for women that I chose to examine appeared in the Godey's Lady's Book, which was a monthly publication that circulated from 1830 to 1898. The magazine was intended to entertain, inform, and educate the women of America. In addition to extensive fashion descriptions and plates, the early issues included biographical sketches, articles about mineralogy, handcrafts, female costume, the dance, equestrienne procedures, health & hygiene, recipes & remedies, etc. The magazine later became an important literary publication, with essays, poems, short stories, and articles by many famous 19th century authors. Today, the magazine provides a great deal of information on the ideal roles and social deportment of women in the 19th century. For this paper, I chose to focus on a letter that appeared in the February 1888 edition of the Godey's Lady's Book. This letter is a woman's response to her niece's request to have her present the young girl to society. Although the aunt explains that she would be unable to perform this request, she does give a great deal of advice to her young niece about how to make her "debut in society". The aunt takes many factors into consideration when offering the
This letter provides a great deal of insight into the construction of gender identity during the 19th century. Girls were taught certain skills and qualities that women should possess from a very young age, and the debutante ball or party was a way to show society that the young woman indeed possessed those qualities. The aunt's letter of advice demonstrates how it was considered "feminine" to be sociable, charming, and a good hostess. The debutante party was a sort of rite of passage for young women, where they were expected to present themselves to society, and to show-off their desirable traits and charms to their elders and marriageable men. The aunt describes several options for a social event where the young girl can be presented to society, ranging from a fancy debutante ball, to a more intimate afternoon reception. However, she warns that such events are costly, and that, "Nothing is more vulgar than to entertain in a style out of proportion to one's means, and there is nothing at which the world is so sure to laugh... beware of exciting the envy and scorn of your circle of acquaintances, as you will certainly do if you try to 'make a great show,' and begin your society career on a scale that you cannot long keep up". This admonition clearly points to the significance of the young woman's social status in such social situations. young debutante advice on how to make her entrance into society, and the most important of all factors appears to be income. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Home and Society Manners: LE
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Approximate Word count = 1069
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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