ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the contributions of Catherine Ann Dorset (1750–1817) to the genre that Mary V. Jackson has termed “papillonades.” These stories in verse, which feature groups of animals that host and attend social gatherings such as balls, satirize adult social behaviors and pretensions in addition to cleverly presenting animal behavior. Although now largely obscure, Dorset found great success with The Peacock “At Home” (1807), which sold over 20,000 copies. Peacock and The Lion’s Masquerade (1807), much like Smith’s children’s books, demonstrate an interest in shaping young readers as future members of society. I argue that, although Dorset’s satire appears to mock social norms and nationalism, it actually serves to reinforce a conservative perspective. These works establish a world in which ritual must be preserved in order to maintain harmony, suggesting that the proper functioning of society and government is dependent on all members’ obedience to their codes—even as subtle predator–prey jokes hint at a darker world of human enterprise. My paper also seeks to explain the varied reception of her work (from commercial success to current obscurity) through its examination of Dorset’s seemingly inconsistent politics.
