Project Gutenberg 2004-09-01 Public domain in the USA. 140 Curtis, George William 1824 1892 The Potiphar Papers Text file produced by Arno Peters, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team HTML file produced by David Widger "The Potiphar Papers" by George William Curtis is a satirical novel written in the mid-19th century. The narrative delves into the social dynamics and pretentiousness of affluent upper-class New York society, particularly as it unfolds through the experiences of Mrs. Potiphar and her circle. Central themes include the superficial nature of social status, the absurdity of societal expectations, and the contrast between genuine virtue and artificiality. At the start of the novel, the editor introduces a letter to the Reverend Cream Cheese, setting a humorous and critical tone towards the nature of societal gatherings, particularly parties hosted by Mrs. Potiphar. The opening explores the excessive decorum and hypocrisies of the so-called "best society," culminating in an account of a grand ball that highlights the emptiness behind the opulence and class distinctions. Characters like Mrs. Potiphar, who is portrayed as both superficial and self-aware, navigate through a labyrinth of social intricacies that dictate their interactions, revealing the hollowness beneath their lavish lifestyles. Through witty observations, Curtis critiques the distinction between meaningful social engagement and shallow extravagance, emphasizing a longing for genuine connection amid the frivolity. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 79.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Satire United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction PS Text Category: Humour Category: Novels Category: American Literature 316908 2025-08-03T07:49:53.946466 text/html 326432 2021-02-26T01:15:09 text/html 185528 2025-08-03T07:50:00.244922 application/epub+zip 188899 2025-08-03T07:49:56.544956 application/epub+zip 179109 2025-08-03T07:49:55.396957 application/epub+zip 336802 2025-08-03T07:50:03.103931 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 317559 2025-08-03T07:49:59.591939 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 291845 2022-09-03T11:57:09.703389 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 275879 2025-08-03T07:49:53.482468 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 275661 2016-11-04T09:26:00 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 271264 2013-06-14T13:05:34 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 271259 2013-06-14T13:05:22 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 22399 2025-08-03T07:50:03.231889 application/rdf+xml 13091 2025-08-03T07:49:55.950938 image/jpeg 3615 2025-08-03T07:49:55.703928 image/jpeg 107432 2016-11-04T09:28:16 application/octet-stream application/zip 106756 2013-06-14T13:05:56 application/octet-stream application/zip 113087 2021-02-26T01:15:12 application/octet-stream application/zip 106670 2013-06-14T13:05:56 application/octet-stream application/zip 180667 2025-08-03T07:49:53.970458 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia