The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes

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The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes is a children's story by an anonymous author, published in 1765. The story is the origin of the popular phrase "goody two-shoes," often used to describe an excessively or annoyingly virtuous person. In more recent years, the phrase has developed a more negative connotation, implying that the virtuousness of a "goody two-shoes" is insincere.^[1]

Contents 1 Plot 2 Publication 2.1 The anonymous author 3 External links 4 References

[edit] Plot

Goody Two-Shoes is a variation of the Cinderella story. The fable tells of Goody Two-Shoes, the nickname of a poor orphan girl named Margery Meanwell, who goes through life with only one shoe. When she is given a complete pair by a rich gentleman, she is so happy, that she tells everyone that she has "two shoes." Later, Margery becomes a teacher, and marries a rich widower. This earning of wealth serves as proof that her virtuousness has been rewarded, a popular theme in children's literature of the era.

[edit] Publication

The anonymous story was published in London, by the John Newbery company, a publisher of popular children's literature. In his introduction to an 1881 edition of the book,^[2] Charles Welsh wrote:

“

Goody Two-Shoes was published in April 1765, and few nursery books have had a wider circulation, or have retained their position so long. The number of editions that have been published, both in England and America, is legion, and it has appeared in mutilated versions, under the auspices of numerous publishing houses in London and the provinces, although of late years there have been no new issues

”

[edit] The anonymous author

The story was later attributed to the Irish author Oliver Goldsmith, though this is disputed. Because Goldsmith frequently wrote for pay, and because of his copious fiction in essays (e.g. The Bee and Citizen of the World), the attribution to Goldsmith is plausible. Washington Irving was one supporter of Goldsmith's authoring the book, saying that "Several quaint little tales introduced in Goldsmith's Essays show that he had a turn for this species of mock history; and the advertisement and title-page bear the stamp of his sly and playful humor."^[3] However, the book has also been attributed to Newbery himself, and to Giles Jones, a friend of Newbery's.^[4] "Booksellers" (publishers) such as Newbery would frequently pay authors for anonymous work, and there can be no certain attribution.

[edit] External links

• Text of an 1881 reprint of the original version on Project Gutenberg
• Image of an 1787 Edition
• 18th Century Childrens' Book Collections at the British Museum
• Archive.org full scanned copy of an edition published in 1888

[edit] References

1. ^ Feinsilber, Mike and Elizabeth Webber Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions (Merriam-Webster, Springfield, Mass., 1999) p. 234.
2. ^ Reprint of the 1766 edition.
3. ^ Irving, Washington. Life of Oliver Goldsmith ISBN 1-58963-236-2.
4. ^ Thwaite, Mary F. From Primer to Pleasure in Reading, 2d ed. (London: Library Association, 1972), p. 50.

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