On the porch of a white sprawling plantation house, a demure, but beautiful white woman in a hoopskirt fans herself. A glass of iced tea featuring a slice of lemon on the rim and condensation dripping down the sides, sits on a table beside her, while she entertains her beau or enjoys a good gossip with her best girlfriends. The smelling salts and fainting couch are at the ready in case she gets a touch of the vapors. Meanwhile, mammy it close at hand to make sure her young mistress is properly chaperoned, prepared to say those sassy phrases that are allowable with the affectionate love the household feels for her. It is an iconic picture of the old South and Southern womanhood, but in reality, it is a lie that we continue to hold onto partially
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Instead, she has been a springboard to create the ideal of Southern womanhood, and built on the backs of the lower class women who labored harder than I could ever imagine. Over time, that ideal has morphed to mean different things depending on the needs of the South. Southern women have been held back by the myth of the Southern Belle, however with time, they have been able to use her to overcome that impediment. One way is by clinging to the idea that Southern Belles changed with the Civil War to rebel in their own ways, primarily by being outspoken and industrious. By embracing and celebrating these new traits, Southern women had permission to start speaking their mind and to have jobs, because it was now an expected part of their personality. Taking pride in the traditional Southern Belle seems wasteful, because she was not representative of most Southern women, and she is part of a romanticized idea that hold us back from understanding the reality of the Antebellum and Civil War South. However, taking pride in what she changed into has merit. If I had daughters, I would want them to be willing to embrace rebellious tendencies if it led to productive and meaningful change. While I would not want them to work themselves to death to survive or to take care of a family, I would hope they would be willing to work very hard for the things they have, and to help
Instead, she has been a springboard to create the ideal of Southern womanhood, and built on the backs of the lower class women who labored harder than I could ever imagine. Over time, that ideal has morphed to mean different things depending on the needs of the South. Southern women have been held back by the myth of the Southern Belle, however with time, they have been able to use her to overcome that impediment. One way is by clinging to the idea that Southern Belles changed with the Civil War to rebel in their own ways, primarily by being outspoken and industrious. By embracing and celebrating these new traits, Southern women had permission to start speaking their mind and to have jobs, because it was now an expected part of their personality. Taking pride in the traditional Southern Belle seems wasteful, because she was not representative of most Southern women, and she is part of a romanticized idea that hold us back from understanding the reality of the Antebellum and Civil War South. However, taking pride in what she changed into has merit. If I had daughters, I would want them to be willing to embrace rebellious tendencies if it led to productive and meaningful change. While I would not want them to work themselves to death to survive or to take care of a family, I would hope they would be willing to work very hard for the things they have, and to help