Marblehead's Pygmalion by F. Marshall Bauer

Author:F. Marshall Bauer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Marblehead’s Pygmalion: Finding the Real Agnes Surriage
ISBN: 9781614230748
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
Published: 2011-09-12T00:00:00+00:00

Under the heavy accent of the day, according to Marblehead historian Samuel Roads,83 “hardly a family…escaped with a correct pronunciation of its name.” To Agnes, Harry’s friend Robert Auchmuty might have become “Muster Orchmonky.” Harry Frankland would have been among the first to admit that Agnes needed finishing.

Most sources agree that he sent her to the well-known private school of Peter Pelham, located near the customhouse. Pelham had been an engraver in London. He and his son—also named Peter—came to America in the 1730s. Pelham’s curriculum included “Dancing, Writing, Reading, Painting upon Glass, and all sorts of Needle Work.”84

Agnes was a stranger in a strange land. I could not help thinking of anthropologist Kalvero Oberg, who coined the phrase “culture shock” in 1954. Oberg defined this condition in terms of foreign travel, but his description has an uncanny resemblance to what a young, love-struck Agnes Surriage must have felt:

Honeymoon Phase—During this period the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light, wonderful and new.

Negotiation Phase—After some time (usually weeks), differences between the old and new culture become apparent and may create anxiety. This phase is often marked by mood swings caused by minor issues or without apparent reason. Depression is not uncommon.

Adjustment Phase—Again, after some time (usually 6–12 months), one grows accustomed to the new culture and develops routines. One knows what to expect in most situations and the host country no longer feels all that new. One becomes concerned with basic living again, and things become more “normal.”

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