Antebellum Southern Laughter

One of the most popular genres of southern writing of the antebellum period was frontier humor. Composed exclusively by men, often professional men but not usually professional writers and frequently published anonymously or pseudonymously, in newspapers, almanacs, or periodicals, the humorous sketches and tales of the Old South, in many instances, defied and transgressive propriety of subject matter and conventional notions regarding women and other minorities, most notably African Americans. In this blog, address the transgressive or unconventional nature of antebellum southern humor, focusing briefly on several of the assigned works. Limit your response to 200-250 words and post your response NO LATER THAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, AT 9 AM.

Writerly Restraints in Depicting the Old South

Many southern writers, white as well as black, free as well as slave, male as well as female, regardless of what their personal convictions who wrote about the social world of the Old South frequently had to do so in a guarded or cautious manner . Sometimes the meaning of their words is subdued or obscured by conflicting views and subtleties, thus creating ambivalence and ambiguity for the reader. Carefully focusing on one writer and one of the texts we have read from the African American Perspectives of the Old South Unit (Jan. 26 and 28), point out some of the specific limitations of the work that result from the writer’s efforts to circumvent controversy. Or , as another option, evaluate the work in terms of the effectiveness with which the writer presents subversive material to his white readers. Blog should not exceed 250 words and your response must be posted no later than Thursday, January 28, at 9 am.

Classism in the Early South

One of the recurring intersections in early southern writing involves class, race, ethnicity, (and sometimes even gender). Rather than formulating distinctions among these elements based on a verifiable construct, early South watchers and commentators drew on traditional notions, ideologies , (perhaps even myths) to justify class and racial superiority of their particular social group or ethnicity and correspondingly the inferiority of persons of color or other marginalized characters (Native Americans, African Americans, persons of low socio-economic class and circumstances, and women). The purpose of this blog is to have you address some of these ideas and their implications to the formation of the ideological construct known as the “South.” Include in your response at least 2 different texts from the assigned readings in the course through Thursday, January 21. Your blog, which must identify you as the author, should not exceed 250 words and must be posted NO LATER THAN SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, AT 9 AM.

Ed Piacentino