Hartley, Cecil B. The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette. G. G. Evans, 1860. PDF retrieved from Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/09030584/.
This manual is highly detailed in its explanation of how a young man should go about learning the proper ways of conducting himself in the public realm. It could be used in many ways; for example, a study of Chapter 7, “Dress,” is very helpful when setting the stage for how people of a higher social class presented themselves to one another in the 1800s. This perspective is especially advantageous when looking at the life of Charles Dickens and the subject matter of his pieces.
This is an 1860 manual for men on proper etiquette. The following appears on the cover: “RULES FOR THE ETIQUETTE TO BE OBSERVED IN THE STREET, AT TABLE, IN THE BALL ROOM, EVENING PARTY, AND MORNING CALL; WITH FULL DIRECTIONS FOR POLITE CORRESPONDENCE, DRESS, CONVERSATION, MANLY EXERCISES, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. FROM THE BEST FRENCH, ENGLISH, AND AMERICAN AUTHORITIES”
- Etiquette at this time was much more prominent, including table manners, street etiquette, letter writing, and proper dress.
- Though young men were thought to learn etiquette from home and school, it was also common for them to learn it from an older friend, since they often left home at an early age.
- A third place to learn proper etiquette was from short manuals, many of which can be found in the Library of Congress.
- This particular manual covers all manners from A to Z, including ballroom etiquette, church etiquette, and more.
- In order to be considered a proper man of society, one had to be skilled in all facets of manners and etiquette.
- These manuals would have been primarily used by those in the upper class.
While there are 364 pages in this book, our focus questions and subsequent connections are based on Chapter 7, “Dress”:
- How does the way a character dresses affect readers’ perceptions of the character?
- How can readers’ impressions of an author affect how they perceive what the author has written?
- Does the way someone looks affect the way they are perceived by others? Why, or why not?
Kansas Standards for English Language Arts
RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- Students should annotate Chapter 7 for specific details of how men dressed at the time and how dress affected them socially.
RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
- Students should pay special attention to the new vocabulary they encounter in the text. Some of these terms will refer to types of clothing that students may need to look up for reference.
RL.9-10.6 Analyze a particular point of view based on cultural experience reflected in a work of literature.
- Students will reflect on the use of clothing and etiquette in researching Dickens and his commentary on social hierarchy.
SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively
- Students will spend extended time in small groups discussing annotations of the text and how it affects analysis of Dickens and A Christmas Carol.
SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
- Students will create a group presentation using their annotations of the original text from the Library of Congress document.
- Distribute a copy of Chapter 7, “Dress,” to each student. Ask students to read and annotate the chapter for details pertaining to attire and etiquette of the time period.
- Upon returning to class, ask students to share their annotations in small groups. Because the Library of Congress piece has no pictures, give students a large piece of craft paper and have them re-create the men’s attire with suggestions on how to prepare oneself for going out listed around the edges.
- Once students have a finished product, have them present to the class. They should compare and contrast the pictures to identify differences and determine which is closest to the text. Once everyone has presented, project a picture of what the attire looked like at the time (see the resources at the end of the rationale for a relevant website). See which group came the closest to the look of a man of the 1800s.
- As a culminating activity, discuss with students the life of Dickens and how, in his early life with his wife Katherine, he was very affluent. He dressed very well and kept the company of artists and actors. He would have worn fine clothing and prepared himself very carefully to go out and entertain. Have students write about how this attitude is reflected in A Christmas Carol. Can they see the air of wealth in the miserly attitude of Scrooge? How did this attitude affect the character as he made his life choices? This approach would work well as an in-class timed writing asking students to pull textual evidence from both the Library of Congress piece and A Christmas Carol.
This piece could be challenged because it talks only about the men’s attire or because it is about Europe and wealth. In either of those cases, opt for one of the alternatives, both of which were written in America and talk about both men and women.
- This excellent etiquette book published in Chicago in 1896 is the perfect alternative for a student wanting to study a piece a bit closer to home. There is a section on formal dress that students could apply to the same assignments as the original.
- This interesting selection talks about etiquette as opposed to attire, addressing everything from how teeth were cleaned to how boots were kept polished. This source could be a nice alternative for students who want an alternative to talking about clothing and wealth.
- Fashion History Timeline
- Scroll past the women’s looks to the men’s, and you find an excellent selection of how men dressed in the nineteenth century. This source can be used to show students what the outfits actually looked like.
- Historical Menswear
- This very helpful webpage is exclusively about men’s fashion from the nineteenth century. Students will see not only examples of individual styles but also where they originated.
- Smithsonian Dickens Article
- This article gives an interesting look at Dickens’s wealthy lifestyle, lending a different perspective on his take on the lower class.