Perfect Behavior: A Guide for Ladies and Gentlemen in All Social Crises (A parody outline of etiquette)

Perfect Behavior is a classic lighthearted parody of social etiquette manuals; its chapters demonstrate plenty of ways not to behave in or toward polite company. First published in 1922, Perfect Behavior was conceived by author Donald Ogden Stewart as a response to the frequent publication of guides on etiquette and conduct. Determined to produce a comprehensive send-up of these ceaseless manuals, Ralph Stewart paired with illustrator Ralph Barton and created this book. This edition of Perfect Behavior contains all of Ralph Barton's thirty-plus original illustrations, lending the text a further layer of humor. Various social crises we are instructed on coping with include music concerts, weddings and engagements, and the sensitive matter of inviting guests to an event. An aspect of social history is present too: 'dry agents', a colloquial term for those policing the USA's prohibition of alcohol, receive their own chapter. The author would go on to write some of the greatest comedies in Hollywood's Golden Era, infusing sophistication and wit into his screenplays and characters. This book, published when Stewart was a young man of twenty-eight, underlined his promise in the nascent world of popular humor writing. Title Dedication Contents List of Illustrations 1. The Etiquette of Courtship 2. The Etiquette of Engagements and Weddings 3. The Etiquette of Travel 4. At the Concert and the Opera 5. Etiquette for Dry Agents 6. A Chapter for Schoolgirls 7. The Etiquette of Games and Sports 8. Correspondence and Invitations 9. The Etiquette of Dinners and Balls