Fashion,_or_Life_in_New_York_by_Anna_Cora_Ogden_Mowatt

Fashion, or Life in New York by Anna Cora Ogden Mowatt Fashion and the Pressure to Conform The following is a selection from the play Fashion, or Life in New York (1845) by Anna Cora Ogden Mowatt. It involves a conversation between Mrs. Tiffany, a lady who imagines herself fashionable, and Millinette, a French ladies maid. Mrs. Tiffany is part of the social more of New York’s upper class and absurdity arises when she tries to utilize social forms which she does not understand, to try and become part of what she calls the “ee-light.” (A.1 s.1) Mrs. Tiffany: Is everything in order, Millinette' Ah! Very elegant, very elegant, Indeed! There is a jenny-says-quoi look about this furniture, -an air of fashion and gentility perfectly bewitching. Is there not, Millinette' Millinette: Oh, oui, Madame! Mrs. Tiffany: But where is Miss Seraphina' It is twelve o’clock; our visitors will be poring in, and she has not made her appearance. But I keep people waiting. –None but vulgar persons pay attention to punctuality. Is it not so, Millinette' Millinette: Quite comme it faut. –Great personnes always do make little personnes wait, Madame. Mrs. Tiffany: This mode of receiving visitors only upon one specified day of the week is a most convenient custom! fashion, tiffany, mrs, french, new, women, elite, york, one, upper, status, people, millinette, herself, fashionable, because, about, very, time, seraphina, play, part, mr, made, just, class, through, rich, once, much, easy, american, page, woman, vulgar, visitors, success, styles, society, servants, own, madame, mrs, foreign, first, fashion’s, fashions, everyone, considered, before, balls