Upton Sinclair on the "Accomplishment" Imparted by the Finishing School

A couple of years ago I wrote a post on Jane Austen's treatment of the theme of "the accomplished young lady," and specifically the extent to which it was a matter of foolish leisure class pretension than substance. In his discussion of the education provided by America's diversity of school systems in The Goslings, Upton Sinclair does not overlook the "finishing school," nor his knowledge of what they provide by way of his wife, a graduate of one of them (on New York's Fifth Avenue, no less), who acquired the accomplishments they provide.

As Sinclair remarks, the "accomplishment" consisted of the ability to "play three pieces on the piano, and three on the violin . . . sing three songs, and recite three poems, and dance three dances," while "she had painted three pictures, and modeled three busts, and heard three operas." Some, like the hacks who write Hollywood's garbage, are impressed by such a level of "accomplishment"--but as Sinclair's description makes clear even without his comment it is all laughably superficial, conceived "from the standpoint of the drawing-room, and just enough to get by on." Moreover, in line with the overlooked reality that time and energy and resources spent learning one thing are time and energy and resources not spent learning other things--such that Sinclair informs us that in acquiring all this accomplishment Sinclair's wife had "read three books."

Those unclear on just how much accomplishment is involved in playing three pieces, singing three songs, etc. might do well to think of just how much reading that is--and treat it as an index of the actual level of accomplishment in those other areas that seem more exotic and impressive to those who have not graduated finishing schools.