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Judge, 1883-12-15 · page 4 of 16

Judge — December 15, 1883 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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Judge — December 15, 1883 — page 4: Judge, 1883-12-15

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# Analysis: "Mrs. Pennyfeather's Peregrinations" This page contains a serialized story rather than political cartoons. "Mrs. Pennyfeather's Peregrinations" satirizes American upper-middle-class snobbery and social pretension through the complaints of a wealthy, chronically dissatisfied woman. The satire targets Mrs. Pennyfeather's contradictions: she resents Thanksgiving and Christmas as distinctly American holidays (preferring European traditions), yet celebrates them anyway; she demands elaborate preparations while criticizing servants for their efforts; she insists on fashionable display yet worries about appearing overdressed. The humor lies in exposing her as simultaneously class-conscious and ungrateful, desperate to appear refined while behaving boorishly. Her husband Heraclitus becomes a punching bag for her constant criticisms—she even orchestrates a public humiliation at the opera to punish his supposed rudeness. The story mocks the pretensions of Americans seeking European sophistication while remaining fundamentally provincial and ungracious. Mrs. Pennyfeather embodies the nouveau riche stereotype: wealthy but tasteless, aspirational but contemptuous.

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THE JUDGE. | pumpkin pie, doughnuts and cider, n one conglomera AIL L wonder at the traditional dish of pork and bea! anyhow. thing: mss, was that they omitted Ilow 1 and Who cares if it’ does? “when the table isn’t pret are not properly served ? + Well.” said Idon’t want to eat the nd [don’t eare how thing vet them hot and we “Oh, don’t you?” [ said. mother and sister are not here, much fuss as au fait; and waitress the other prepare the fin when I was liste tube afterwards, [heard her say sh if you spoke to her that way Then he was mad, of cours¢ if he gets the worst in an only reply he could make keep your ears away from the speak you wouldn’t hear so much, by half, When ye you mi nybody if everyth is not you Much to the and her mother have a Thad them here for F well. holidays 4 nd what upon Americans want to celebrate the f{ the British for, is more than I Sor my part [ wish they'd never and that were still under I might have been a Duchess | or something with a title. | Im quite certain T never would have been plain M myfeather. IL other hand, [ might hav but (like to know what he Luemnpa nae tion day T hate earth the always is ned the If you'd tube we British rule T wonder if he thinks Id be foo » to the trouble of listening could hear without it. I never saw aman, and his family are all just like him. knows | rT got Lucinda all fixed for the opers the-other night, eho must go a whole effect by putting on gown. I told her to w one, and [was maid; ne lunch on the 26th, propo: for Mr. » Inncheon | Ile hired a window for the family to view the parade, but [remained at home with Kathleen, who | had a cold. When I the rain come down [ congratulated myself on my fore- thought and common sense. Thanksgiving day horrid, always is. Now Ohristinas As is celebrated a few other I believ and p invited to a chamy down the ha roing, for 1 div ar UI going to drapoa mantilla of mine and, shoulde rs; but no, y thought Twas afraid the atin would eclipse my toilet, with it and looked Twas so mad by that time that I p what she did; and when she stuck some red_artificial roses in her r that Marie and U1 so nicely, and | proceeded to dr: yellow two-buttoned kids, ] never said aword. I | thought if she wanted to look Ii South American maccaw, she could, When we entered the box (we were late, of course, though T had tried my lest for must needs exp rd | once to be ¢ dd eseape obst 01 saat kre peace neo te| ° arly an sty rvation), nuts and mince and pumpkin pies, and for “Ty cap the climax, Hu two days his mother Lucinda had the | Pandeane 4 with their mix- | ; apunctiot m of house- nic she was no eon on, sof w h as too; it a day that’s ona Tp rtant eountries bat ‘ American beian, and I dislike it. raclitus must whisper w Teame to allow ire of herself. annihilated him with one glance, and told him in hissing tones, 1 ‘explain how I a ter we reached the seclus- room He shrugged hi shoulders, was ugly all the evening, and just to spite me, L know, insi on oi Delmonico’s, was ing and mu and I declare if my whole ping wasn’t upset by their y asked them why they ce Dinah how to make the thin rolled up their at each other as if they pitied my and sniffed contemptuously. that I rang for the coupe, and let her ed horance, room. tthe ope her fan before her face while the bi Cavalazzi_ dane and “after one around the house, refused to k 0k kept her eyes on the floor while was geing'on. She said the boxes were appalling spectac! ing to look at, I quite this opinion, and thought most of them were shocking, thou, v she did. She wonldn’t bare nec dd arms, ev to the Venus de Milo, thoug Heraclitus so, he said probably far as he knew Venus de have any arms apparently tho mince pie, | funny. ‘our, surveyed. lay ; pecked into “for Dinah told | oped the pantry anc me so, and I h ard them t fearful e went to be pointed Dinah is as neat pss, but nd didn’t give them v be if they wh nty In a belonged nT told for s Milo didn’t they produced. | nt dinner,” Heraclitus | asked him how he'd 1 chtertainment some ‘9 oysters, no sou no ices; but turkey, no salad, no wine and ieee aie ght he had said something Asif Fdidn’'t know that without, his tell- | nd so she ap: | nd then he laughed and | all served | Delmon hi away from she and dear Berkville. 1 w # them that 1 just lay dow the ind had ar Vwas mad at myself te think Vd been fool snough to invite them 1 over now and [don’t ad with pre- parations fe T hope T shall have no further interruptions. ln. sure don’t know what to get for Heraclitus. s I'll order the coupe gentlemen's furni around, — [t seems so nice to have of one’s own—such a nice pr of Dolly, the horse; -atrick, Fm sure, will be the But Heract to keep ti All heed a careful d s if there w i drivers to law departed for the last of bed after om the and & had! Then. te afl i ving on i ein him I ¢ stylish e and pre thy I told cack Penelope Ttold him it was not stuff a atall, That I should believe wh with my own ears and h All right, you say, spea just give me a re ‘This insulting remark [ treated with silent mpt, but time will shew that I'm nd he'll find out before long that the be trifled with is not PENELOPE PENNYPEATHER. Ileraclitus they were sweet upon and hes * Stufland n nse, 1 nonsense t Th 1 nd saw with my own Min't prevent it. id he, Il swallow what tube all, if you'll ot wear those kittens® id w Bergh-cruelty-to- on th al of her y inch of you— rephed the it to be one Shrewdness for years nracteristics of the few at Lia laughs at the report that Brooklyn paper started ‘Let th talk. I Kin- py do.” Orn “Bractivet ” Poet trying to write on his favorite theme, with the thermometer up in | | the seventies, | comicbooks.com