Domestic Manners of the Americans
Fanny Trollope
RG Bronze Medal 2000
27th February 2000 at Eliane's House
Synopsis
When Fanny Trollope set sail for America in 1827, she took
with her three of her children and a young French artist.
She left behind her son Anthony, growing debts and a husband
going slowly mad from mercury poisoning.
But, her hopes of joining a utopian community of emancipated
slaves were soon dashed, and she and her children were forced
to live by their wits in Cincinnati, then a booming frontier
town on the Ohio River. What followed was a tragicomedy of
illness, scandal and failed business ventures that left them
destitute. Nevertheless, on her return to England, Fanny turned
her misfortunes into a remarkable book. The Domestic Manners
was a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic; it rescued
the family fortunes and launched a remarkable literary dynasty.
But more than that, it is a masterpiece of 19th-century travel
writing, a timeless satire on a society torn between high
ideals and human frailties. The Domestic Manners is
as perceptive and funny today as it was when it was first
published.
First lines
On the 4th of November, 1827, I sailed from London,
accompanied by my son and two daughters; and after a favourable,
though somewhat tedious voyage, arrived on Christmas-day at
the mouth of the Mississippi.
Our comments
Once you have read the foreword it becomes clear that Fanny
Trollope is not an entirely reliable source, at least as far
as her own activities in America, but she is a wonderfully
gossipy author and it is no surprise that this book caused
such a scandal when published. I hadn't appreciated quite
how different from Europe, the United States had already become
by the time this book was written (only a short time after
independence). It is also interesting to consider that you
are reading about a different country through the eyes of
someone who lived two centuries ago, and who therefore had
very different views on how society should be generally, let
alone in America. That all sounds a bit serious. In fact this
book is incredibly bitchy, with its constant references to
the boorish manners of the Americans, their "incessant spitting",
prudishness, and religious fanaticism. Fanny can also be funny
about herself and her family - typical Brits who insist on
going for afternoon walks in the wilderness and end up bitten,
scratched, sunburnt and lost. No doubt she isn't entirely
fair on the Americans though Dickens
also mentioned the spitting in his writings on America, and
no doubt she had her own political and personal agenda in
wirting the book. It is still a very good read - very funny,
and I laughed out loud.
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