Books on manners, posture, conversation, and dress were popular among the Victorian middle class. Authors instructed families how to entertain, greet, and behave to emulate the gentry. Failure to adhere could mark one as “new money” or uncultured. Manuals also taught women domestic skills, while men learned negotiation, politeness, and networking. Publishing of etiquette books flourished alongside industrial prosperity and expanding middle-class influence. These guides codified social norms and created shared reference points for behavior. Such instruction reinforced class divisions while enabling aspirational mobility.
Manners manuals reinforced social aspirations and conformity.
It demonstrates how written guides shaped perception, behavior, and class identity.
Did you know Victorian etiquette books sometimes included detailed diagrams for proper hand placement and posture at dinner?
[British Library, britishlibrary.uk]