Eastchester High School Students Behave Like 'Gentlemen'

Eastchester High School seniors in Jennifer Gavin’s Advanced Placement Literature class are currently reading Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," and they recently decided recreate the polished decorum and stylized manners of the Regency Era.

So, in the spirit of cultivating civility, the class held a “Gentlemen's Tuesday” on Nov. 26 just before Thanksgiving.

During the event, polite conduct, top hats, tuxedos, white gloves and long dresses all made an appearance, as students revived the best that the Regency Era of civility had to offer.

“The purpose of 'Gentlemen's Tuesday' is not to venerate customs which modern readers may find stifling, but to foster goodwill in our community by re-enacting those traditions which engendered respectful, thoughtful behavior among individuals,” said Gavin in a statement. 

Jane Austen's time period is noted for its highly stylized strictures of decorum and its emphasis on grace and sophistication, according to Gavin.