MSB:
Without prolonging this too much, I think that every region of the country has a certain cultural heritage which may serve to strengthen its inhabitants, especially a heritage of adversity. The South, in particular because it lost the war and suffered the most (not to minimize the tragedy of the deaths of Northern soldiers) because of the destruction of much of their homeland. The south also is more "inbred" in that they did not have so much immigration as the more industrialized parts of the nation in the north. Southern writers, Faulkner, in particular, seem to be able to convey this regional heritage in their works. One of Faulkner's characters goes to Yale,and when asked by his roommate to explain the South, says: "You couln't understand, you would have to be born there." (not exact quote.)
We don't have to worry much longer about these ancient animosities, I think. Globalization has affected our own country. Most high school seniors don't even know what century the civil war was fought in, and they certainly don't hate the "yankees" as their great grandparents might have. Even our regional speech patterns, while still somewhat distinct, are being blurred by the influence of television, movies, etc.
Jack |
