JOsepH pUglia (stemcamp@mars.utm.edu) from 170.143.229.169 at 09/24/98 04:15PM
comment
    For me, there is no way to sum up southern women, except to say "they live in the South". I guess I'll have to be the nonconformist odd-ball on this subject, but I have trouble saying things that make no sense to me. Southern women come in all forms and from all backgrounds; they have different ancestry, religions, races, economic statuses, customs, and personalities. I don't think its possible to come up with any kind of fair depiction or ideal of the Southern woman in such broad terms. Maybe I'm wrong, but when I hear the saying, "where have all the ladies gone?", ladies seems to imply "white" and "wealthy". I don't have any problem with studying or taking an interest in southern ladies. (After all, I'm male.) But I do resent the fact that many people often think "southern ladies" the only Southern women worth remembering. Oh well. Dr. Z, I liked your comment. On a lighter note, I remember Dr. Alexander saying something about women's literature being sometimes demeaned as "domestic literature". However, women's literature is nothing to demean at all. Dr. Alexander talked about how women's novels often centered on family and delved (is that a word) more into emotion and love. The way I see it, love, emotion, and friendship are some of life's most precious aspects. In my mind, they're what make life worth living. Mama Day centers strongly on family ties. Family, for most, make up our strongest bonds of friendship. I think that Southern women writers play upon family relations even more, and I admire that. OK, that's my say. OH! but one of the best things of the Southern culture is definitely the COOKING!! OH yeah.