A Learned Dissertation on Dumpling

Henry CareyProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 93K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Learned Dissertation on Dumpling (1726) by Henry CareyAuthor: Carey, Henry, 1687?-1743,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Feb 17, 2009

Editor's review

This 1726 pamphlet is a humorous work by the English writer Henry Carey, written in the style of a parody of academic dissertation, offering elaborate mock-scholarly investigation and argument on the ordinary foodstuff of pudding. Its value lies not in providing genuine culinary history but in showing how eighteenth-century English men of letters used pseudo-academic tone to satirize pedantry and mock the fashions of the day; it is a light sample for understanding the satirical and humorous tradition of the period. The text is short, and its English wording bears the marks of its era; readers can appreciate the rhythm and ironic technique of eighteenth-century English argumentative prose. It is suitable as supplementary reading for the topic of satire and parody in English literature courses, and also suitable for readers interested in eighteenth-century English society and culture to browse at leisure. While reading, there is no need to seek scholarly seriousness; treating it as a carefully designed word game allows one to better savor its wit.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English literature students who need to understand eighteenth-century satire and parody
General readers interested in eighteenth-century English society, culture, and humorous tradition
Language learners who enjoy short English pieces and are willing to engage with early modern English style

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking genuine pudding recipes or systematic knowledge of culinary history
Beginners with limited English reading ability unaccustomed to eighteenth-century English expression
Readers expecting complete narrative or plot-driven works

Reading tips

Read through once to feel the parodic tone, then use annotations to sort out the exaggerated logic of the mock investigation.
Read the solemn arguments as irony, noting how the author mimics pedantic tone.
Read alongside other eighteenth-century English satirical pieces and compare the similarities and differences in parodic technique.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a genuine scholarly work on pudding?

No. It is a parody written in the form of an academic dissertation, using the topic of pudding to mock pedantic scholarship; its focus is humor and satire rather than providing genuine culinary history or recipes.

How difficult is the English, and what background is needed?

The original is eighteenth-century English with longer sentences and period vocabulary; university-level English reading ability is recommended, along with the ability to use annotations to understand allusions and irony.

Is it long, and how should reading be arranged?

It is short and can be read in one sitting. You may first skim to grasp the overall tone, then go back to examine how the author layers pseudo-scholarly argument.

Comments

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About the author

Henry Carey Author · English

Henry Carey (1687?–1743) was an English poet and songwriter. Because the dates of his birth and death and the details of his life are poorly recorded, public information about him is limited; his early years, education, and career are difficult to establish with certainty, and he is known mainly through the works he left behind. One work by him is held in this collection, A Learned Dissertation on Dumpling. Judging from this title and from his songs, Carey often took ordinary, everyday subjects such as food as his material, writing in a humorous vein with touches of satire and parody. He was skilled at treating trivial topics in an apparently solemn scholarly tone, producing a light and witty effect. His representative works also include the song Sally in Our Alley, which circulated widely and secured him a place in the tradition of English popular balladry and humorous verse.