.
Reflective Essay: Southern Tenacity
Mills ZL
HNL-372WX-01
4/28/14
Help Received:
1
At first glance, the notion of a southern literature course seemed relatively straightforward.
Having lived in either Georgia or Virginia for my entire life, I felt that I had a strong understanding of the
southern culture ideals. Living in the rural, backcountry areas, I had a general familiarity with southern
stereotypes such as the agrarian lifestyle, southern hospitality, or hearty cuisine. Throughout the course
of HNL-372WX, tremendous, subliminal themes became apparent and recurring throughout various
literary works. One of the most powerful ideas presented in the southern literature pieces was the
socio-economic disparity between rich plantation owners and poor farmers, which showed the true
colors of the southern lifestyle.
Initially, my familiarization with southern culture was generally superficial, and I found that
many other people also expressed the same sort of basic understanding. In my “Tell about the South”
film, I interviewed cadets in order to identify commonalities amongst views on southern culture. These
themes included the general geographical location, cuisine, and southern hobbies. Most people,
however, failed to have a deeper understanding of southern culture or the intricacies which defined
southern history. From the work involved with the production of the film, I learned that to truly
understand a culture, an acute examination must be conducted. Generally speaking, it is simple to gloss
over the southern stereotypes, but to truly connect with the culture that defines southern living
requires greater focus. In addition, failure to conduct a close examination will typically result in
misleading conclusions. For example, the South is typically viewed as an idealistic utopia away from the
chaotic urban labyrinths across the United States. During the twentieth century, the south was
commonly associated with plantation style living that featured a hierarchal social order and relatively
wealthy estate (139). Upon further investigation, however, the socio-economic status of Southerners
reveals that the common romanticized plantation myth is more of a southern dream.
2
In God’s Little Acre, the story of a poor white farming family through an intricate plot with filled
sexual fulfillment and the pursuit of wealth reveals the first flaw in the plantation dream. In the piece,
the family understands of the world and logical thinking is incredible skewed, which provided great
insight into the true helplessness of the poor. Instead of trying to use the land for agricultural purposes,
the family instead focuses on digging craters on the farmland. Throughout the entire book, it becomes
evident that the family did not have any success with their gold digging ambitions, and the likelihood of
any future success was slim. This conclusion showed the true helplessness of poor southerners, an eye
opening realization into the regional culture. Unlike the methodical dream of plantation living, the
family’s fruitless attempts at gold digging create significant economic hardship. Instead of farming the
land, the poor, ignorant family continues to waste away their ability to prosper. From this I learned that
stereotypes are usually misleading turns on the road to cultural discovery. Instead, one should focus on
hard facts and experiences in order to form a cohesive understanding on the cultural subject matter.
Showing the opposite spectrum of economic standings, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof showcasing of a
rich plantation owning family revealed remarkable truths about the wealthy southern lifestyle.
Following the domestic quarrels of a wealthy plantation family, the novel shows the fallacies of the ideal
southern plantation stereotype. Trying to mend a broken relationship with her alcoholic husband,
Margaret, the main female character, also has to deal with her dying father-in-law and the fight for his
legacy with other family members. The typical southern plantation owner lifestyle illustrates the
impression of a relatively simple lifestyle where slaves and farmhands pull all the work. By showing the
crack in the illusion of the idealistic southern lifestyle, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof shows that even the
wealthy face difficulties and problems in life. From this piece, I learned that nobody is protected from
the intricacies of reality. Even the ideal southern plantation family has troubles as revealed by the
multitude of dysfunctional attributes present during the play. In addition, the idea that wealth could
provide a possible solution to the family troubles is quickly ruled implausible after it deteriorates the
3
fragile family structure near the end of the play. Even with significant wealth, southerners cannot escape
the hardships of real life and do not fit the ideal southern lifestyle as suggested by common stereotypes.
Instead, it becomes apparent that all people, rich or poor, are subject to reality.
Providing an avenue between both extremities of economic depravity, Gone with the Wind
showcases both extremes of economic conditions in southern culture. In the beginning of the film,
Scarlett, the powerful main female character, is depicted as a wealthy southern belle living in an ideal
southern plantation. After the war hits Atlanta, however, reality sets in and soon the economic
conditions of the film shift. Instead of partying and teasing young men, Scarlett is forced to actually work
as a farm hand in order to survive the depression that followed the Civil War. This movie showed the
intense cultural and economic progression during the Civil War period and truly explained why the
South was bitter following their loss in the Civil War. From this artifact, I was shown the continuously
degrading economic conditions of the South following the war. The tenacity of Margaret, however, does
represent the hardworking culture of southerners and their ability to respond to adversity well. In spite
of all the setbacks, Margaret is still shown as positive, optimistic right until the very end of the movie. A
stark contrast from the Southern dream as depicted in the beginning of the movie, the actual South was
a much more serious, realistic version of the world.
By focusing on the difficult experiences and hardships of southerners, it became apparent that
the notion of easy living in the South is simply a cultural illusion. Southerners of all classes have fought
to simply survive. Unlike the comfortable stereotypes that most modern people currently hold, a closer
examination at the culture of the South reveals significant turmoil and adversity. Even though I lived in
the south for over a decade, this part of the culture was not an apparent issue. Through analysis of
various literary works, I gained a true understanding that the South was not simply a region where
people enjoy sweet tea, cornbread, and easy living. Instead, the region is characterized by the ability to
4
overcome adversity to survive. As opposed to the plantation myth, the true southern reality is better
represented by tenacious, hardworking, independent Americans.
5
Works Cited
Wilson, Charles Reagan., and Samuel S. Hill. The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Chapel Hill: U of
North Carolina, 2006. Print.