Life, 1889-11-07 · page 3 of 16
Life — November 7, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "To the Manner Born" This cartoon satirizes wealthy society's pretensions about inherited status and manners. The caption presents a dialogue where Mr. Primus asks about a girl eating "enthusiastically" at another table, and Miss Secunda identifies her as Miss Blackhill, "granddaughter of the Dakota millionaire." The joke hinges on the ironic contrast: despite her vast wealth, Miss Blackhill apparently lacks refined table manners—she eats with unladylike enthusiasm. Mr. Primus's quip that she "looks like a girl who was born with a silver knife in her mouth" (inverting the phrase "born with a silver spoon") mocks the assumption that money automatically confers gentility and proper deportment. The satire targets Gilded Age nouveaux riches who possessed fortunes but lacked inherited social refinement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NS or style rgely to the fact on of a Y. riety of TO THE MANNER BORN. Mr, Primus; \WHO 18 THAT GIRL EATING SO ENTHUSIASTICALLY OVER YONDER AT THE OTHER TABLE? Miss Secunda: WHY, THAT 18 MISS BLACKHILL, GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE DAKOTA MILLIONAIRE. SHE LOOKS AS IF SHE HAD ALWAYS HAD WHAT SHE WANTED, DOESN'T SHE? Mr, Primus: Wei, SHE LOOKS LIKE A GIRL WHO WAS KORN WITH A SILVER KNIFE IN HER MOUTH. SOCIETY NOTES. R, J. TOMLINSON GREGG has a new dog cart, which some- what resembles the one used by S. Humbleton Johnson, The announcement of the engagement of Mr. F. Rumsen Jones- worthy to Miss Kitty Clavers was premature, Mr. G. Hornblower Blatt says there is nothing in it. Mrs. Plumpson Pompson gave a dinner last Wednesday. Mr. T. Edgerly Wapp and Mr. L. Greencorn Gumberson were among the Kuests, also Mr, T. Whangerling Klipp and Mr, O, Klingsworthy Browne. Miss Lena Stayleure says she thinks Mr. J, Grubsome Greene is horrid, Miss Clara Golding thinks differently, and says Mr. Gre is more comme if faut than either Mr. F, Plantagent Wilson, Mr. Overton Smith, or Mr, B. Tuder Snell. Mrs. W. Fingerbow! Rice has a new Worth dress that cost $3,800, Mr. J. Buncombe Beale read a book last summer. Miss Pinkie Trotabout and Miss Dottie Van Moonshaven will be the maids of honor at Essie Cadawallader's wedding. European Court journals please copy. LA OF THE HOUSE: You're late to-day. ICEMAN: Yes'm; I’m around alone to-day. My assistant's laid up in the hospital. “What's the matter with him?” “He was taking the bill into a house yesterday when the ongs slipped, an’ the bill fell on his leg an’ broke it.” comicbooks.com