Feeder 3.1

Upholding the Southern Image
Southerners value the image they portray to others and the light in which others perceive them. They uphold many of their traditions for the sake of an ideal image even when it is not in their best interest. For instance, by being in the Bible belt, Southerners look down upon divorce since it is not supported in the Bible. Yet, it is common for a couple to stay married even when both partners are unhappy. By giving off the air of being together, they hurt themselves but uphold their image. Southerners are willing to stand up for beliefs and traditions they do not agree with or even believe in just for the sake upholding the southern image. Upholding images that one doesn’t agree with or only valuing a tradition because everyone else does, is dangerous to meddle in.
Such claims can be found in Mason’s Drawing Names where Iris made it seem like she and her husband, Ray, were still together. Iris begged her husband to go to her family’s Christmas dinner so her parents would not question their marriage status. The setting being located in the South in Kentucky, her parents believed in the traditional values of the South and looked down upon divorce. Iris knew her parents would be disappointed in her and the marriage and could not stand to face them; therefore, she falsely led them to believe her marriage was still a happy one. It is interesting how people influence others so much that they make another change their behavior. I would have to agree that this is an accurate picture of the South since the region does have its preconceptions on how things should be. Yet the same is for any other region. In this idea alone, the South is not different than any other region in having preconceptions.
Also in Dying for Dixie Michael Westerman displayed a confederate flag from a pole in his truck bed without knowing the price he would pay. When passing through the town of Guthrie, four black teenagers saw the flag from the truck and struck out. They ended up chasing after Michael and shooting him out of the rage they felt about the confederate flag. They were angered that after all the years since the Civil War Southerners still clung to the rebel flag that fought for slavery. Yet, when asked why Michael displayed the flag his widow responded, “It matched his truck and made it look sharp.” This just goes to show that people will uphold the images and traditions of the South without even knowing or caring about what they represent. This creates generalizations about what the traditions stand for and can create misunderstandings or preconceptions about the one upholding them.

Autobiographical: Me and the South

On the surface, the South seems pretty normal to me; yet it was when our English class started studying and discussing the South further, that I finally realized how loaded my previous thoughts were. The only reason it seems normal to me is becuase this is where I grew up and lived my entire life. This is my home. I'm ignorant and know nothing else.

I take it for granted that my mother prepares food from scratch and that I've never had to eat from a box until college. It was actually last night when I was talking with some friends that I realized this was not the norm. The norm of the country or just the norm of my selected friends at the table, or maybe both, I don't know. But in either case I realized it was not the norm. I also take for granted my sense of family and how much they mean to me. In the South family's tend to stick together. Either in the sense of living near each other to be able to make frequent visits or simply spending holidays together. It would be so odd to me to only be spending holidays with my immediate family: my mother, father, and sister. It would be so small. Thus, family holidays or family get togethers are large , many family membered events that I greatly enjoy. By seeing each other and making the effort to meet together frequently, deeper relationships can be formed. This is why so many Southern families are tight knit families who look out for one another.