new topic-southern literature

Every English class has a specific theme that they are centered around. For Dr. Hoefer's class, it is Southern Literature. The goal of the class is to explore different readings to observe how they reflect on Southern culture. Why do you think that it is important to us as students of Georgia Tech to explore this topic? How do you think the theme of this class affects us? and finally, do you think that the readings that we have done in class have been successful in exposing us to Southern culture?

It is important that we understand why we are studying what we are studying. English is not the focus of many students at Georgia Tech, but perhaps the topic we are studying means more to us than we think. Reflect on this idea for the week. :)

Stereotypes in Bastard Out of Carolina - Wier

Through the lifestyle of the Boatwrights portrayed in Bastard Out of Carolina, Allison supports many of the stereotypical redneck and white trash behaviors we have talked about over the semester. We see the importance of family meals and southern cooking in Annie. We see child abuse and incestual behavior, which are both often attributed to lower class poor families. The entire Boatwright family is uneducated and spends their time drinking and fighting.

While all these stereotypes are supported in Bastard Out of Carolina, we see that there is more to these behaviors. Every behavior has some sort of explanation. Allison shows in the novel that all these behaviors result from a sense of shame that people have due to living a lower class lifestyle. It’s not that these people make the conscious choice to live a lifestyle that outsiders look down upon but rather that it is the only lifestyle that they know and are capable of living.

This article talks about how many people have recently embraced the redneck life, opting for the simpler lifestyle. These people are not ashamed of their poverty in many cases, instead enjoying the simple things in life.

Southern Stereotype of Redneck-- Jungyeon Lee

The family of the main character, Bone, in Bastard Out of Carolina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastard_Out_of_Carolina_%28novel%29), does mostly show that their lives represent part of Southern redneck stereotypes such as being poor and uneducated. For example, Bone’s uncle Earl often gets in trouble after drinking and fighting with someone. Even though he is being kind to his family, especially Bone, and takes pride in them, he is at the same time making them worried about him by making so many troubles. Also, most of the family seems to have skipped college or even high school while working under inferior conditions and at a lower level. It is shown by the episode of uncle Earl that he is refused to join the army for not graduating from high school.

In case of the stereotype of rednecks being less intelligent may not apply to all the characters. Southerners from middle class families likely represent this as seen in the life of Bone’s stepfather, Glen. Glen shows the worst case of being uneducated, which is clearly shown in the way that he treats Bone. As if he is being “jealous” of Bone being loved by Anney, he continues to discourage her by telling that she is ugly and even by doing sexual assaults to her, which is the most unbearable and morally unacceptable act that should not be done to a child. This makes readers guess that he is such a filthy man that he doesn’t seem to be educated with basic moral values. By contrast, Bone’s once best friend, Shannon Pearl, and her family contradict this stereotype. In the book, Shannon as well as her family is described as people who like reading a lot and show how they are kind and morally superior through their engagement in religious activities and some volunteering works for poor people. Finally and the most importantly, the way that Bone remains strong against her opponents such as her step father and the whole world looking at her like “white trash” and builds her own opinions to the world by reading a lot indicates that she can think and act even under the poor condition where she can hardly get education but easier to grow into a less desirable person who is not wanted in society by causing troubles often.

New topic-Carter Owens

Throughout the semester we have been talking about stereotypes of Southerners and the infamous 'redneck'. However, recently we have started reading Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison and it shows the life of poor southerners. The same people who are deemed as ‘rednecks’. After reading this book do you think these stereotypes might actually be true?

Southern Music - Brian Wier

In the US, bluegrass music is generally characterized as being distinctly a southern thing. Bluegrass music originated in the Appalachian foothills as a combination of traditional folk music (particularly the Scotch-Irish) and African American jazz and blues. Bluegrass implements traditional European instruments such as the fiddle and mandolin as well as instruments rooted in Africa such as the banjo. While bluegrass may have begun and developed in the south under names such as Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe, this is no longer the case. Artists from outside the south such as Bela Fleck and the Yonder Mountain String Band have adapted bluegrass music to other genres and gained widespread popularity. As the years have gone by, bluegrass has gradually drifted out of the south out west. This trend can be seen in the numerous bluegrass festivals, such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Rocky Grass, which are both held in Colorado.

In this video, Bela Fleck uses traditional bluegrass instruments such as the banjo and harmonica in a jazz fusion style while drawing upon bluegrass musical styles.

Response to new topic-Carter

I agree with Paul about not all Southerners listening to country music. I was born in Georgia and it is where I have lived my entire life and I absolutely hate country music. I also don’t believe country music is a Southern ONLY thing. One of the most famous country singers, Bob Dylan, was born in Minnesota. This proves country music is not just made by redneck, trailer trash southerners, which is the stereotype given to them by all other people.

Southern Music-Paul DeVito

Country music is definitely an important part of southern identity. Being from Virginia, I can safely say that southerns are stereotyped to almost exclusively listen to country music. Also, the fact that many people who are raised from southern families listen to mostly country music doesn't really help the stereotype.
I'm sure the south has its fair share of people who exclusively listen to country music, but I don't think that stereotype hold to everyone. I know plenty of southerners who don't listen to country at all.
Southern music does reference the south a bit more than the north though. Country music definitely seems to be more of a southern genre and started in the south. Also, the vast majority of country singers seem to be from the south.

-Paul DeVito

New topic-Jungyeon Alice Lee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_the_United_States#Blues_and_gospel

In general, music is a good reflection of people’s life. I think Southern music would be a good material to reveal their lives and identities. For example, gospel country music, a type of the Southern music, reflects the Southern people’s strong religious leaning. The video clip here plays a southern gospel song sung by the Blackwood Brothers, one of the representative Southern Gospel male quartets which characterize the Southern style gospel.

Conversely, the gospel music seems to have led Southerners toward religious life. One example is found in the autobiographic novel, Bastard Out of Carolina, by Dorothy Allison. Bone, the main character, is inspired by gospel music and has a desire for becoming a gospel singer. As for her, listening to and singing country gospel songs means escaping stressful life and seeking “salvation” and “miracle” from God.

What other genres of music do you think characterize Southerners’ identity? How does it show and influence the South? How does it have a relation to the Southern stereotypes?

Southern Food- Jungyeon Alice Lee

I think that Southern food is so unique that people from outside the South would be willing to try the difference in Southern food. As seen in this video clip and article http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/03/02/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6259635.shtml,
President Obama is one of the people that want to enjoy such a different taste of southern food. On his trip to Savannah, he stops by at a restaurant renowned for its down-home Southern food to enjoy the ‘uniqueness’. Considering his high cholesterol, he thinks that some of the southern food that he tries might be bad for his health but seem to feel that the temptation of the food fried chicken, BBQ pulled port, cream corn, and so on  is too strong for him.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Seeing this video reminded me of some points made in our class regarding the stereotype-making process. Media might strengthen southern stereotype through covering events making the South more ‘unique’ even in terms of food. In a respect, the event covered might have been intentionally made up by President Obama. Politicians like him possibly think that showing their interest in the representative southern food might appeal to southerners because food is likely a good symbol of the South. On the southerners’ side, this kind of stereotype making will not be bad. It might attract more people from other areas to the South and make their pride in their homeland stronger.

Southern Food - Brian Wier

My absolute favorite food, barbeque, is one that I consider to be most decidedly southern food. Barbeque can be found anywhere in the south and each region has its own specialties and style, whether it be cooking whole hog, ribs or pulled pork in a variety of sauces. I found this website that gives an overview of barbeque in various southern states and provides several interviews and testimonials from barbeque restaurant owners.

In the south, barbeque is considered to be a lot more than just food, approaching an art form in many people's eyes. People take great pride in their barbeque, often touting theirs as the best around. As barbeque has become ingrained in southern society, competitions that attract people from all over the country, and sometimes the world, have sprung up across the southern states. Competitors range from professional teams with state of the art equipment and full barbequing trailers to amateurs with homemade equipment. In the south, barbeque is a way to spend the day, relaxing with the family and eating good food while enjoying the outdoors, a truly southern image if you ask me.

Below is a video documenting the Jack Daniels World Championship Barbeque World Championship, held every year in Lynchburg Tennessee.

Food in the South-Paul DeVito

So, I know not everyone in the blog group is doing food for their main topic for the class, but regardless of what you are doing food is a major part of South. If you agree that southern food is unique and plays a major role in southern culture, say why and provide examples. If you dissagree and think that southern food is not unique and does not play a major role in southern culture, say why and provide examples.