A Comedy of Manners

Reading Jane Collier's, An Essay on the Art of Ingeniously Tormenting, was a real hoot. It is the first bit of writing I have read on the fine art of nagging. This witty social satire is fashioned after conduct books and could be called a handbook of anti-etiquette. Collier describes methods for 'teasing and mortifying' one's intimates and acquaintances in a variety of social situations by taking advantage of their affections and goodwill. After reading the title of this essay all I could think of was a cat tormenting a poor little mouse but Collier's audience is not of the feline persuasion; the target audience is primarily wives, mothers, and the mistresses of servants.

The Art suggests the difficulties women experienced exerting their influence in private and public life and how they got around these difficulties. Collier's essay gives us a glimpse into the daily life of wives and mothers in the 18th century that we do not often see. This reading was enjoyable and interesting at the same time. If you are curious about the conduct books that Collier fashioned her essay on, you can view Conduct Books and Advice Manuals on-line.