156:
readers and addressed middle-class concerns. Newton argues that these texts "reflected questions about gentility, right-doing, and manners, but more importantly questions about social identity and roles and how to live good and successful lives." A typical mid-19th-century conduct book for young women would deal with topics including women's responsibilities, domesticity and love of the home, religion, education, courtship and marriage, women's duties to their husbands and children, and "female qualities" such as cheerfulness, humility and submission; while a conduct book for young men of the same period would address themes including ambition, self-reliance, self-improvement, honesty, punctuality, choice of friends and marriage.
361:, argues that black girls in literature became a rubric for African American citizenship and racial progress in print media of the 19th and early 20th century. Girls were specifically targeted in the creation and distribution of racial conduct manuals, as writers believed that black girls behavior negatively affected how the dominant culture perceived black individuals, and that this behavior resulted in serious consequences for the entire race. Books were advertised to girls and their families as a tool to help black families advance in society through the actions of their daughters, placing the future of African Americans on the shoulders of young black girls.
373:
and vacancy of expression, while “after” pictures illustrated her new, bourgeoisie appearance and quiet, but intellectual, personality after receiving an upper-class education. Some of these images even made girls appear visibly lighter or
Eurocentric, demonstrating that proper conduct can make girls more beautiful. These changes, which transformed lower-class black girls into the embodiment of the ideal female New Negro, prepared women for political and social activism within their communities and the domestic roles of a wife and mother, suggesting that marriage is the ultimate reward for education and cultivation.
365:
unwanted advances, invest in their education, and obey their parents or husbands. “Life will be safer for the girls who understands her own nature and reverences her womanhood, who realizes her responsibility toward the race and conducts herself in accordance with that realization.”. The codes published in turn-of-the-century manuals contained some information that was helpful to the health and wellbeing of young black girls; however, they also advocated for rigid rules that restricted their lives and silenced their feelings.
369:
towards a formulaic way of thinking that discouraged loud, uncaring, or reckless behavior in favor of quiet and thoughtful manners. Behaving like ladies was essential to their own wellbeing in society as well as the wellbeing of the race, as boisterous and unladylike conduct was believed to further stereotypes of black women as overly sexual. In contrast, the image of the proper young black girl was one of modesty and purity, aligned with the conduct and appearance of elite white girls of the time.
164:
religious, and wifely duties; advice on health and fashion; rules for dating, mental improvement, and education; the art of conversation and avoiding 'evil-speaking' and gossiping; and advice on fostering harmonious marital relationships." Rose argues that these books, which were aimed predominantly at middle-class white women, placed "certain limitations and restrictions upon women's autonomy, literacy, and educational and vocational opportunities."
859:
447:, placing greater emphasis on the etiquette and behavior of women and reinforcing patriarchal structures within communities. Adopting these views silenced the voices of black girls and women, as the importance of patience, restraint, and propriety was viewed more favorably than resisting systems of oppression.
416:
have promoted political ends; they have aesthetically influenced female characterization and plot development in early
American as well as English novels; and they have certainly helped perpetuate traditional American views about female place and roles that emerged, in Barbara Welter's phrase, as the
372:
Narratives of black girls portrayed through conduct manuals often relied on imagery– either hand-sketches or photography– to illustrate the effects of “proper” conduct on the lives of young black women. “Before” pictures of black girls illustrated an appearance of disarray, unruliness, poor grooming,
163:
and domesticity" by characterising the home as the appropriate sphere for women, as a tool for "fostering religion, uprightness, and virtue", and as "women's empire" through which women serve the nation by raising future leaders. Topics covered by conduct books in this period "might include domestic,
433:
in its most powerful form." Elsewhere
Armstrong and Leonard Tennenhouse argue that "Of the means which European culture has developed to create and regulate desire, conduct books for women and certain other form of writing now known as literature offer us the clearest examples", and go on to argue
98:
argues that conduct books "represented a specific configuration of sexual features as those of the only appropriate woman for men at all levels of society to want as a wife", while also providing "people from diverse social groups with a basis for imagining economic interests in common." Armstrong
442:
emphasized in these texts perpetuated classist and racist attitudes within the black community about what it means to be respectable, often embracing assimilationist ideals by promoting the ideals of white, middle- and upper-class society in the raising of young black girls. They also adhered to
345:
to create a system of legal racial segregation in both public and private facilities of the south as hysteria rose among the white ruling class of both
Northern and Southern states related to the safety and privilege of their race. The racial violence seen during slavery was continued through a
155:
British and
European conduct books were reprinted by American publishers and became popular; until the late 18th and early 19th centuries such imported volumes were the primary source of Americans' behavioral and moral guidance. American conduct books were addressed predominantly to middle-class
368:
The ideal black girls of conduct manuals were not just dutiful and moral domestic servants, but beautiful as well. Respectability was often conflated with appearance, and conduct books instructed girls on how to present themselves both physically and socially into proper ladies, directing them
364:
Black girls were made responsible for the moral, mental, and physical states of coming generations, and it was believed that their utmost responsibility was to produce superior individuals. In addition to being quiet, demure, hygienic, and apologetic, girls were also to shield themselves from
328:
at the turn of the 20th century, conduct grew in importance among
African American activists, leading to the development and popularity of black conduct books. These books, curated by select elite African American men, were designed with the intention of controlling representations of African
333:
of the early twentieth century, both physical and cultural movement of people changed the geography of social interaction within the United States, contributing to rising anxiety about national identity, socioeconomic stability, and girlhood among black and white families alike.
70:
definitions. Thus "conduct book" embraces those texts whose primary aim is to describe and define a basically
Protestant scheme of life, morals, and behavior, in order to encourage ideal conduct in white, generally middle-class children, young men, or young
357:,” a model of moral integrity and behavioral codes that white democrats would recognize as genteel in nature. These conduct books used girls and boys as protagonists in the teaching of racial etiquette and moral refinement. Nazera Sadiq Wright, author of
437:
While black conduct books were viewed as valuable in providing guidance to
African Americans navigating the social challenges of integrating into white society post-war, they were also problematic in many ways. The importance of
143:. The work is more of a sociological and philosophical treatise on the basis of human relations than a how-to guide on etiquette, but the German word “Knigge” has come to mean “good manners” or books on etiquette.
784:
Armstrong, Nancy; Tennenhouse, Leonard (1987). "The
Literature of Conduct, the Conduct of Literature, and the Politics of Desire: An Introduction". In Armstrong, Nancy; Tennenhouse, Leonard (eds.).
79:, but rather with the conduct of one's life in a broader, ethical sense. Conduct books are typically addressed to a specific audience but also to society more broadly, and address themes including
341:
contributed to the fearmongering racist ideologies of the time by relying on the false narrative that criminality is inherent to black communities. White democrats passed a series of
400:
by Silas X. Floyd is one of the most significant, spanning several editions and publication sites to prepare readers for the "responsibilities of freedom". "Scholars consider
66:
a text that is intended for an inexperienced young adult or other youthful reader, that defines an ethical, Christian-based code of behavior, and that normally includes
50:(c. 2350 BCE) are among the earliest surviving works. Conduct books remained popular through the 18th century, although they gradually declined with the advent of the
139:), a treatise on the fundamental principles of human relations that has the reputation of being the authoritative guide to behaviour, politeness, and etiquette in
338:
802:
Rose, Jane E. (1996). "Conduct Books for Women, 1830–1860: A Rationale for Women's
Conduct and Domestic Role in America". In Hobbs, Catherine (ed.).
221:
404:
a 'historical rarity' and an early black textbook that taught young black readers 'conventional morality and the self-help philosophy'".
159:
In her study of American conduct books published between 1830 and 1860, Jane E. Rose argues that conduct books in this period "glorify
168:
62:
In the introduction to her bibliography of American conduct books published before 1900, Sarah E. Newton defines the conduct book as
900:
425:
Armstrong argues that because conduct books appeared to have no political bias, the rules codified in them "took on the power of
120:
844:
181:
152:
353:
In response to the violence of this period, conduct books and manuals published by black writers ushered in the era of the “
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820:
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that "the production of specific forms of desire has created and maintained specific forms of political authority".
934:
347:
893:
924:
919:
87:. Their tone may be both admonitory and hortatory, instructing readers both on how to behave and how
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audience that did not take shape until a later period—"a middle class that was not actually there."
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Americans in the public sphere through the actions and image of young black girls. During the
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A Collection of Conduct Books for Girls and Boys in 19th century America in 5 vols.
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41:
37:
772:
429:"; and that as a result "they presented—in actuality, still present—readers with
261:
95:
80:
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225:
186:
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456:
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104:
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The Young Lady's Guide to the Harmonious Development of Christian Character
209:
108:
84:
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The Ideology of Conduct: Essays on Literature and the History of Sexuality
765:
The Crisis of Courtesy: Studies in the Conduct-Book in Britain, 1600–1900
444:
426:
213:
100:
67:
33:
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argues that conduct books addressed readers who belonged neither to the
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legacy of brutality and systemic oppression, evidenced by the trend of
202:
762:
471:
354:
76:
430:
795:
Learning to Behave: A Guide to American Conduct Books Before 1900
735:
723:
319:
858:
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Popular black conduct books of the early-20th century include:
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339:
The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan (1905)
777:
Desire and Domestic Fiction: A Political History of the Novel
51:
29:
310:
Advice to Young Ladies on Their Duties and Conduct in Life
675:
641:
639:
637:
530:
75:
Conduct books do not deal exclusively with questions of
711:
314:
Advice to Young Men on Their Duties and Conduct in Life
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African Americans even into the twenty-first century.
228:. In the 19th century, popular conduct books included
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36:and ideals. As a genre, they began in either the
282:A Practical Directory for Young Christian Females
258:Familiar Letters to Young Men on Various Subjects
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806:. University Press of Virginia. pp. 37–58.
32:of books that attempt to educate the reader on
894:
320:Black Conduct Books in the Early 20th Century
125:Adolph Franz Friedrich Ludwig Freiherr Knigge
167:Popular 18th-century conduct books included
390:Golden Thoughts on Chastity and Procreation
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887:
771:
717:
536:
524:
169:Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
813:Black Girlhood in the Nineteenth Century
359:Black Girlhood in the Nineteenth Century
804:Nineteenth-Century Women Learn to Write
222:Anne-Thérèse de Marguenat de Courcelles
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191:Letters on the Improvement of the Mind
121:Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation
337:White supremacist literature such as
250:The Young Woman's Guide to Excellence
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616:
604:
592:
114:
107:, thereby paradoxically targeting a
758:Literary Encyclopedia: Conduct Book
13:
182:A Father's Legacy to His Daughters
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412:Newton argues that conduct books
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815:. University of Illinois Press.
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312:(1848) and its companion volume
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266:Moral Pieces in Prose and Verse
212:, which included selections by
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811:Wright, Nazera Sadiq (2016).
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254:The Boy's Guide to Usefulness
873:. You can help Knowledge by
129:Ăśber den Umgang mit Menschen
7:
450:
57:
10:
951:
852:
779:. Oxford University Press.
793:Newton, Sarah E. (1994).
788:. Methuen. pp. 1–24.
206:The Lady's Pocket Library
482:
445:traditional gender roles
440:respectability politics
394:Don't! A Book for Girls
386:Working with Your Hands
274:Letters to Young Ladies
199:The Whole Duty of Woman
47:The Maxims of Ptahhotep
423:
419:Cult of True Womanhood
218:Sarah, Lady Pennington
127:wrote the book (1788)
73:
865:This article about a
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242:The Young Man's Guide
234:Lectures to Young Men
208:(1792), published by
161:Republican Motherhood
64:
935:Literary genre stubs
462:Mirrors for princes
306:Timothy Shay Arthur
294:Anecdotes for Girls
925:Non-fiction genres
920:Conduct literature
797:. Greenwood Press.
684:, p. 153-155.
382:Morals and Manners
326:American Civil War
324:Coming out of the
302:Anecdotes for Boys
230:Henry Ward Beecher
173:Letters to His Son
135:On Human Relations
26:conduct literature
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115:Holy Roman Empire
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270:How to Be Happy
262:Lydia Sigourney
195:William Kenrick
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718:Armstrong 1987
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187:Hester Chapone
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875:expanding it
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408:Significance
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396:. Of these,
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210:Mathew Carey
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177:John Gregory
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150:
132:
128:
118:
109:middle class
93:
88:
85:gender roles
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65:
61:
45:
34:social norms
25:
21:
20:
18:
706:Newton 1994
694:Wright 2016
682:Wright 2016
670:Wright 2016
658:Wright 2016
646:Wright 2016
629:Wright 2016
581:Newton 1994
569:Newton 1994
552:Newton 1994
513:Newton 1994
501:Newton 1994
467:Nasîhatnâme
427:natural law
272:(1833) and
214:Hannah More
103:nor to the
101:aristocracy
94:The critic
91:to behave.
68:gender role
914:Categories
763:Review of
752:References
203:compendium
930:Etiquette
617:Rose 1996
605:Rose 1996
593:Rose 1996
472:Self-help
355:New Negro
151:From the
77:etiquette
775:(1987).
451:See also
431:ideology
348:lynching
316:(1848).
276:(1833),
268:(1815),
244:(1834),
236:(1844),
193:(1773),
185:(1774),
175:(1774),
58:Overview
119:In the
40:or the
843:
819:
392:, and
304:, and
256:, and
141:Europe
71:women.
869:is a
483:Notes
52:novel
30:genre
28:is a
871:stub
841:ISBN
817:ISBN
300:and
224:and
83:and
308:'s
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264:'s
240:'s
232:'s
197:'s
189:'s
179:'s
171:'s
89:not
24:or
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636:^
559:^
544:^
491:^
421:."
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248:,
220:,
216:,
123:,
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