The Rich of the 18th Century

By Becca and Gwen

• Genre – They are all written texts

• Audience – They are likely to have been aimed at rich people of the Upper Classes

• Purpose - Each text has a different purpose. - The text on page 4 has the purpose to inform and enforce the manners that were seen as important at the time. - The text on page 5 is an advert so therefore has the purpose to persuade people to go out and buy new breeches.

Genre, Audience and Purpose

In addition to the two texts in the booklet, we have also found this advert for a hair-dressers and perfumery, published in 1788

Its purpose, as well as to persuade people to go and buy their products, is also to entertain as the main body of the advert is a poem informing you about the products.

GAP

• S and ſ still interchangeable

• No longer capitalised ‘important’ words

• Average of 38 words per sentence

• Word order ‘It is therefore for utility only’ instead of ‘Therefore it is for utility only’

• ‘Leather perfectly white’ instead of ‘Perfectly white leather’

• Punctuation - Average of 38 words per sentence, separated by commas and semi-colons and conjunctions

• Intensifiers- ‘most genteel’

Grammar

Pragmatics• ‘Doe-skin’ ‘travelling,

hunting, shooting &c.’ ‘silk’ – suggests the higher classes

• The advert refers to its audience as ‘Gentlemen’ which is a name that was given to men of the higher classes, which again suggests the higher-class nature of this advert.

• This advert suggests that these breeches were custom made which would’ve only been for upper-class gentlemen of the period.

• Compleatly instead of completely

Orthography

GraphologyIn this advert, there is a small illustration of a pair of breeches. This image was likely to have been drawn firsts before being etched and printed with the advert. Illustrating adverts was beginning to become popular around this time, but it would’ve been very expensive which suggests the high-class of the product and the people the advertiser is trying to attract.

Grammar

• Contractions – ‘tis but civil to stay till your Betters are serv’d’

• Word Order- ‘Some there are who eat that with eagerness and impatience’

• ‘S’ and ‘F’ still interchangeable

• Average 38 words per sentence separated by commas, semi-colons and conjunctions.

Lexis +Orthography

• Publickly- publicly• Hickup – hiccup • Sawces- sauces

• Serv’d- served • Oblig’d-obliged

• Capitalised nouns that were seen as important words (Nose, Napkin, Stomach, Master, Diet, Health, Glass, Betters, Discourse, Horse)

• Text 4 was published in The Rules of Civility or The Maxims of Genteel Behaviour published in 1703.The audience for this text is people who are concerned and interested in social etiquette, the rich higher classes. The purpose of this text is inform and enforce the manners that were seen as important at the time. The importance put on manners shows how the upper class and the middle upper classes felt the need to know how to behave socially.

• The power of the upper class in society being reflected in the imperative statements used.

Pragmatics

Pragmatics• Consistent mention of food

and drink in masses, no shortage or worry about food or money for the audience.

• ‘If the Servant be near’ reveals the situation the writer assumes the audience will be in is a with the high classes.

• Written as a guide how to behave socially amongst the higher classes and the lords suggesting social interactions were of the highest importance and it was significant how people were perceived.

Grammar• S and ſ still

interchangeable• An average of

31.5 words per sentence

• Punctuation – not very sophisticated, only got commas, semi-colons, hyphens, colons and full stops (though not many)

• Many contractions used e.g. Ev’ry, hop’d, ‘Tis, engag’d etc.

Lexis• Archaic word –

‘Pomatum’ - meaning: an ointment for the skin or hair

• Capitals still on important words

• Loan words – e.g. ‘tete’ – French ladies wig

Orthography

• ‘Compleats’ instead of completes

• ‘Shew’ instead of show

• Wig spelt with a double ‘g’

Pragmatics• The main body

of the advert is a poem which suggests high-class as it would’ve been mainly the upper classes who read poetry and could appreciate it.

• The first line states “With humblest deference” which shows how the advert is catering for the upper class people who are used to having people speak to them with deference.

• The fact the advert is for a wig maker also suggest class as rich people were more likely to be able to afford expensive wigs.

Graphology• The image on this

advert is quite detailed, which suggests class as it would’ve been very expensive to get the image put on the advert but the advertiser so they would be expecting to get their money back from the rich people buying their wigs.

• There is an explanation of the image below it which could suggests people weren’t used to this kind of advertising.