The Potiphar Papers

"The Potiphar Papers" by George William Curtis is a comical story that makes fun of rich people in New York during the 1800s. It shows how fake and focused on appearances the upper class can be. The book begins with a letter to a priest that sets a funny tone toward fancy parties, especially the ones Mrs. Potiphar throws. The story shows how silly and over-the-top these parties are, where everyone is trying to look important, and what the difference between being truly good and just pretending to be. The main people in the story, like Mrs. Potiphar, show how difficult it is to get around in a world where how you act and what people think of you matters more than anything else, revealing how empty their lives really are under all the fancy clothes and parties, ultimately pointing out how much better it would be to have real friendships instead of just showing off.