Thoughts on Southern Readings

In reading George Fitzhugh's piece From Southern Thought, it was interesting to me that the author stated, numerous times that any society without black slavery would become dependant upon white slavery. In fact white slavery had historically occurred for centuries. Britain, in fact had been using white slavery since before the 1500, but in order to maintain the social niceties calling it "indentured servitude" However, in this case slaves could buy their freedom after seven years {the length of their bought contract} and were not in many cases treated as badly and black slaves. This seems to me an astounding concept to me that a white man would propose this concept, especially in a generally published article. Also interesting to me was the number of times that he brought Bible teachings into the mix, either to prove himself or disprove a point. It was almost like he was feeling guilty or he was hiding behind the Bible and using it as a protection point to anyone who would challenge him because Fitzhugh was ready with a defense. He was refusing to take responsibility for what he wrote or the fallout. In reading further on, it was neat to read that he treated the South as an actually living breathing person, a woman. That alone paints a picture of softness, delicateness, taking care of the family and home as well as education. This woman controlled opinions in fashion, education, literature, crop production, and societal acceptance. This piece places alight on what southern writers and society thought about slavery and how the though society would do without it.

Southern Food for Thought

In reading and discussing the piece The Swallow Barn by John Pendleton Kennedy, I found it extremelydescriptive, almost too descriptive, yet there was something about the author's style that made me want to keep reading. The picture that was painted for the reader of the plantation using the wording "... with the air of a grenadier recruit, posted behind a testy little veteren corporal" was so explicit that one simply could not ignore it. If one has ever seen a grenadier, not only are they extemely imposing {as demonstrated by their huge bearskin hats which were part of their uniforms} but they stand tall and proud, never turning away from battle. The grenadiers and the plantation especially are used as a comparison between the political and societal unrest that was occuring during the time that this piece was written. The grenadiers were used heavily during the Revolutionary War and won several battles, so in my opinion the author is using the two to epitomize the past which was being shattered by the war. As a reader, I also found that there were many sterotypes that the author broke through- the picture of a typical southern plantation, described in the delapitated and strangly shaped buildings, and even the portrayal of the of Frank Meriwether's character as he waffles back and forth. The authoe highlights his behavior as the "perfect southern gentleman" however as he makes choices and goes back and forth it breaks the stereotype of the ironwill and stubborness of the South that eventually lead to the Civil War in the first place. The author even pokes fun at the makeup of the family in The Swallow Barn by depicting the loss of the Walter Hazard plantation to Frank Meriwether and their relationship, as well as the usage of slavery on the farm. This piece was so well formed in using many different facets to describe one picture of the American South.