At Delmonico's the Silver, Gold and Diamond dinners of the socially prominent
succeeded each other unfailingly. At one, each lady present, opening her napkin,
found a gold bracelet with the monogram of the host. At another, cigarettes rolled in
hundred-dollar bills were passed around after coffee and consumed with an
authentic thrill.... One man gave dinner to his dog, and presented him with a
diamond collar worth $15,000.
- Matthew Josephson, describing the Gilded Age, in his 1934 book, The Robber
Barons.
SVETAIN
After having read Gilded Age excerpt, do you think the author exposes the
extravagances of the Robber Barons? Explain your answer and support it with 2
pieces of evidence from the excerpt.
