Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Changing Southern Imaginary
Contemporary southern literature is comprised of new constructs, a reflection of a broader, more inclusive and a more daring figurative landscape of materials not featured in earlier southern writing—all of which contribute to new perspectives about the South since the Second World War. Drawing on two separate and different aspects of two of the following texts, analyze to what extent they exhibit new dimensions of contemporary literature: Welty’s “A Curtain of Green,” the excerpts from Haley’s Roots, the excerpts from Percy’s The Last Gentleman, or Williams A Streetcar Named Desire. Your response, which should not exceed 250 words, must be posted no later than Thursday, April 8, 2010, at 9 a.m.
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Southern literature after the Second World War seems to start to focus more individual characters and their inner feelings. In "A Curtain of Green" Welty dramatizes the effect of guilt. This is one of the first times we a character struggle with guilt. After loosing her husband, Mrs. Larken seemed to isolate herself from the rest of the world in her garden. She felt guilty and responsible for the death of her husband. She struggles with this guilt throughout the entire story until the end where the reader is left wondering if she died or not. In Haley's "Roots" we see a character that struggles with their identity. For the first time we read about a character that is obsessed with who they are and the subject of genealogy is brought up. Haley was able to show how Kinte found out who he really was and the transformation he went through. In both of these texts, we are able to see how Southern literature has transformed and now goes into more depth of the inner feelings of the characters.
ReplyDeleteBrian Ricks
In A Curtain of Green, the pain of loneliness pierces Mrs. Larkins in all aspects of her life. When she calls out to her negro worker and he doesn't respond, she immediately feels threatened and fearful because she is now be left alone in her sanctuary, her garden. She goes to hurt her negro worker with her hoe but realizes that it is not his fault that she feels lonely, it is her predicament that makes her lonely. The only place she feels safe and secure is in her garden.
ReplyDeleteIn Haley's Roots, the culture and thoughts of a negro slave are brought out. In earlier southern works, the perspective and opinions of slaves were hardly ever considered and even less written about. But Roots goes into the mind of Kunta and looks into what he remembers of his culture and how upset he is at the other slaves who seemingly obey their masters without questioning their authority. His thoughts and actions are portrayed, not the white man's opinions.
There are many comparisons between Welty’s A Curtain of Green and Percy’s The Last Gentleman two being the changing of there home and that both have lost part of their identity. In Welty’s A Curtain of Green Mrs. Larkin hides away in her jungle garden where she works all day everyday and refuses to communicate with the outside world. She would be submerged all day among the thick sloping beds of plants and a blindfold to the world would be removed. Her neighbors would find her place in the garden every morning and then forget about her. In Percy’s The Last Gentleman Will has become part of the North and is shocked at how the South has changed and finds himself feeling homeless. He not so distant from the outside world but he is distance from the new changing South. This is a change to contemporary southern literature because all southern literature before had the South as always and forever being the same, aquaculture kind of life style. In both stories the protagonist has lost a part of their identity because of their changes in the home in which they live. Mrs. Larkin has lost her husband and from what the story tells you her complete identity do her shutting down. Will has lost part of his identity because things have changed and he cannot remember different events, people or things.
ReplyDeleteMike Goins
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ReplyDeleteContemporary Southern Literature is beginning to show a different side to southern culture. It is showing the internal feelings of characters and is looking at characters who do not exactly fit the normal view of people in the south up until now. In Welty’s “A Curtain of Green,” the reader learns about Mrs. Larkin who is dealing with deep sadness and depression because her husband has died. She can no longer function properly as a person. Mrs. Larkin lost her other half, the person she was closest to and cannot imagine going on without him, so she only passes time in her garden working. Other pieces of southern literature have not shown emotions this clear. Also, in Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, the character Blanche is not stable. She has faced a lot of difficult times in her life. Her husband turned who she loved turned out to be gay, all of her family except Stella has died, she lost her home Belle Reve, and she doesn’t have her teaching job anymore. All of these events have led to her going crazy and in the end of the story she is sent to an insane asylum.
ReplyDeleteHeather Mitchell
The new focus of southern literature seems to have shifted from African Americans, to lower white class and even further is the focus on the internal feelings of the main characters. In A Curtain of Green, the main character is Mrs. Larkin. The story focuses on the guilt and lonliness she feels after her husbands death. Her inability to move forward, and do the normal activities of day to day life such as bathing or fixing her hair are proof of her grief. Similarly, Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire feels guilt and pain for her husband's death. She builds up this facade, living behind a wall of lies and a qualities that she herself has not stood up to.
ReplyDeleteMegan Perry
In Percy's The Last Gentleman, Bill goes into a lot of detail in the beginning about the south being his home that he did not really want to go back to. He felt that the north was more of his home even though he was technically homeless when he visited there. Also in the work, A Curtain of Green by Welty, Mrs. Larkin also had a problem with loneliness. She spent her whole life in her garden planting flowers and hiding all of her pain behind the overabundance of flowers. The fact that they were both in different situations but felt so lonely shows a new side to contemporary literature for the time. Most of the Southern literature before this was based on racism and segregation, roles of races, and things pertaining to family life. This was a new way of looking at things and opening up feelings. The South itself was also seen in a different way in both short stories/excerpts...Mrs. Larkin was seen as a lonely woman in the south and the south was seen as a different place during this new period. Even in the second work, The Last Gentleman the south was seen as something with a history but was also somewhat new and different because everyone was described as being beautiful and happy. This was much different than other stories written previously about the south. Both of these stories opened up with new ideas for southern literature.
ReplyDeletePaige Coleman
The south was very conservative in the years prior to WWII. There were very few heavy drinkers and a lot of the rape cases were against the slaves who could not say anything. It is hard to imagine a world where the police were not protecting every man, woman and child. In the story I read, “A Streetcar Named Desire” it was obvious that everyone was not treated the same. It was also seen that women needed to be housewives and had to be proper. In the story, Blanche started going crazy after she lost her house. Throughout the story it becomes clear that Blanche is slowly losing her mind. It does not help that Stanley is prodding her trying to get all of her fortune. Blanche lost her reputation in her old hometown making her have to start over in a new town. It is a very open story for a woman of this time. It is very straight forward and tough story to read through because it is one sad story after another. It is her internal emotions that really show in this story.
ReplyDeleteSouthern Literature has become more contemporary, by getting away from the plantation setting of earlier literature. Also, it has become more about the lives of individual characters and how they deal with personal struggles. In A Curtain of Green, Mrs. Larkin has had to deal with the lose of her husband. She regressed and stayed away from any kind of social connection. She gardened everyday, all day until dinner. She struggled with the guilt of knowing she influenced her husband's death. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche deals with many different family problems. The death of her husband as well as the financial problems that the family has. Then she begins to involve herself with her sister's marriage as well. Blanche intertwined herself in all these issues making her life more complicated, but at the same time more interesting. Both stories give way to a new contemporary south.
ReplyDeleteIn looking at pieces of literature from the contemporary south, it is important to look at several aspects. In looking at Alex Hailey’s Roots, we see a man who is searching to find himself in a new environment. Kunta Kinte has been captured from his home in Africa and has been enslaved in the plantation world of Colonial America. His life is centered not around mere survival, but escape. Throughout all of his turmoil and trials, he discovers more about himself and the world that he lives in. In this book, Alex Hailey unearths the process of discovering more about the individual. In a similar manner, A Streetcar Named Desire shows a woman who is suffering from anxiety, alcoholism, and guilt all stemming from a series of mishaps and turmoil. This story is about her search for comfort and peace, and she seeks it out in the form of her sister Stella, but Stella’s husband Stanley pushes her and prods her to the point of insanity. These stories both show us the personal struggle of an individual and pushes contemporary literature to a new focus.
ReplyDeleteAndy Woods
It seems that in contemporary southern literature, the writers see what we have discussed in regards to Huck Finn. They see the evolution of the african american. Obviously, writers around the time of slavery couldn't have done this, because they wrote with horse blinders on. However, looking at Roots, we see what we discussed all along. Blacks weren't as ignorant as everyone thought, and they weren't feelingless bafoons. The main character in roots is some who is deeply connected to his roots as an African, evident by the fact that he will not surrender his true identity to become the American Slave, Toby. We see a huge change in the treatment of African Americans as well. In a Curtain of Green, Ms. Larkin wants to hit her negro and wants to discipline him for not coming as she called, but she can't bring herself to do it. She feels a sense of guilt, something that in pre-contemporary writings we would not have seen.
ReplyDeleteDanny
In Welty's "A Curtain of Green," it becomes evident on how there are new perspectives in this newer souther literature. The way this is constructed is different than earlier works because it tells about a woman named Mrs. Larkin who is constantly working in her garden (most likely all the time because of her husband's death). It's different because it tells about how hard this white woman works and not so much about African American labor. "The servant would call her at dinner time and she would obey." Percy's "The Last Gentleman" also takes a different tone compared to earlier literature. For example it shows us how the South has already changed since the war; "cars which had confederate plates on the front dumper and plastic Christs' on the dashboard." This explains how after the war the confederates are showing this conservative yet still segregated pride of the South after losing the war.
ReplyDelete-Cait Fulcher
it seems that the contemporary literature shows more of the lower class white person. It shows more of the white people in need and in stress, unless like the old southern literature that focuses on the slaves and the negro struggle. In A Curtain of Green, Mrs. Larkin is struggling wit loneliness from her husbands death. She has let herself go by wearing unkept overalls and unkept hair. She also refuses to go out anywhere other then her garden and does that communicate with anyone but her servant. In a Street Car named Desire, it shows the working class white man. Stanely, Stellas husband, works as an auto parts saleman and although Blanche comes from a wealthy background and her sister Blanche does not quite approve shes is in love with him and is pregnant with his baby. When Blanch's sister comes to stay with them for a while she is forced to deal with this struggle.
ReplyDeleteIn Welty’s “A Curtain of Green” and in Haley’s “Roots,” the main characters experience a loss of identity. Their loss of identity is seen through the authors focus on the main character. In “Roots”, Kunta loses his identity when he is captured in Africa and forced into slavery and brought back to America. Kunta closely identifies with this tribe. Throughout the excerpt Kunta is constantly mentioning his tribe. He talks about what he has learned from his tribe; he misses the people of his tribe, and wonders if his tribe misses him. He is always comparing his experiences in America to what he has learned in his tribe. He also is always trying to figure out what tribes the other African Americans are from. He loses his identity because he is taken away from his tribe which is what he closely identifies himself and does not know where he can fit in when he comes to America. In “A Curtain of Green,” Mrs. Larkin loses her identity when her husband dies. She confines herself to the loneliness of her garden. In a way she lets loneliness become her new identity. The whole neighborhood comes to know her as the lonely old woman, who never leaves the house after she tragically lost her husband. When Mrs. Larkin’s husband dies she does not take the opportunity to create a new identity for herself, she lets the identity that she when she was married die with her husband.
ReplyDeleteKristen Whitaker
Contemporary southern writing is different because it is comprised of new constructs. Two of the different aspects that I noticed, was the change in the dimensions within the character and the struggle for identity. This could be related to the time period and the personal struggles the writers might have gone through that was later reflected in there writing. In Welty’s “A Curtain of Green,” Mrs. Lakin’s has many dimensions for she is not just in her garden but the garden is her safe place away from the world. The garden represents so much more than it would have before this time period for a southern writer. Another aspect was the idea of identity, whether the character was looking to find there- self or define the past. The main character Will seems lost and unsure of his surroundings, he doesn’t understand how Blacks and Whites can live together, because of the change he no longer understands himself, his past nor the present.
ReplyDeleteIn "A Curtain of Green" we see how a lady deals with the death of her husband and she isolates herself in the garden. Green is a colour symbolic with wealth and fertility. Maybe there is a deeper metaphor here of the wife seeking rebirth by working in the garden to counter the inevitable meeting with death.
ReplyDeleteBlanche has difficulty dealing with Stanley as a chosen mate for her sister. I don't think this is so much to do with class or elitism but her rejection of Stanley's character. Racism is not brought up as much in this play as Louisiana had a long history of miscegenation. This is perhaps revolutionary when considering some of the other works we have read.