How The Southern Belle Is Unattainble & Inaccurate | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

How The Southern Belle Is Unattainble & Inaccurate

Gender Roles & Southern Women's Roles Pt. 1

346
How The Southern Belle Is Unattainble & Inaccurate
Alexi Lubomirski

The oldest, most beloved stereotype about Southern women is the Southern Belle. First, we must establish what that is:

A Southern Belle is like Scarlett O'Hara; she wears white gloves and pearls; she is a sorority girl, a loving daughter, later a trophy wife, a cook, a good hostess, and an over-bearing mother; she is also patient, polite, ladylike, flexible, agreeable, pretty, fashionable, composed, meek, feminine, passive, domestic, wealthy, quiet, submissive, philanthropic, religious (but not too religious), and white.

Also, see Scotty McCreery's music video for his song "Southern Belle" for a truly visual representation of the sexualization of young girls and the double-edged sword of domesticity and sexuality (i.e. "she's dukes of hazard in her daddy's car").

So we're all trying to look like this (and behave like we think this looks):

This is, quite obviously, unattainable--inarguably so--because we can't all be Reese Witherspoon and Reese probably isn't even this Reese (she's a less put-together Reese). [Side note: how cute is that teacup pig though?!]

Instead, as we try to attain (posed/photoshopped/hair stylist tampered) Reese Witherspoon levels of Southern perfrection, we end up looking like this:

The reality of the Southern woman has always been someone hard-working, authentic, and flawed. Because of the rural background and poverty of generations of Southern women, they were forced to take on the brunt of domestic labor, if not more than that by working in the fields to boot. Though the wealthy, Scarlett O'Hara-esque few were, in fact, treated like "dream-child[ren]," most were down in the dirt day after day, slaving away at churning butter or selling their fresh produce to make sure their own children got fed.

This was especially true for the black women of the South:

"The typical black woman in the South is a cook, housekeeper, nursemaid, or all three wrapped up in one for at least one white family. Therefore, she is the double matriarch of the South, raising her own family and the families of her white employers."

And while things have changed for the better with the onset of industrialization and race & gender equality movements of the past, what sets the South apart from the rest of the country is that change here is gradual, it comes slower (and often with more resistance).

Tune in next week for the our installment on men v. women's roles in the South.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Kardashians
W Magazine

Whether you love them or hate them, it's undeniable the Kardashian/ Jenner family has built an enormous business empire. Ranging from apps, fashion lines, boutiques, beauty products, books, television shows, etc. this bunch has shown they are insane business moguls. Here are seven reasons why the Kardashian/ Jenner family should be applauded for their intelligent business tactics.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
Photo by Elizeu Dias on Unsplash

If I have learned one thing in my lifetime, it is that friends are a privilege. No one is required to give you their company and yet there is some sort of shared connection that keeps you together. And from that friendship, you may even find yourself lucky enough to have a few more friends, thus forming a group. Here are just a few signs that prove your current friend group is the ultimate friend group.

Keep Reading...Show less
ross and monica
FanPop

When it comes to television, there’s very few sets of on-screen siblings that a lot of us can relate to. Only those who have grown up with siblings knows what it feels like to fight, prank, and love a sibling. Ross and Monica Geller were definitely overbearing and overshared some things through the series of "Friends," but they captured perfectly what real siblings feel in real life. Some of their antics were funny, some were a little weird but all of them are completely relatable to brothers and sisters everywhere.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

10 Reasons Why Life Is Better In The Summertime

Winter blues got you down? Summer is just around the corner!

2546
coconut tree near shore within mountain range
Photo by Elizeu Dias on Unsplash

Every kid in college and/or high school dreams of summer the moment they walk through the door on the first day back in September. It becomes harder and harder to focus in classes and while doing assignments as the days get closer. The winter has been lagging, the days are short and dark, and no one is quite themselves due to lack of energy and sunlight. Let's face it: life is ten times better in the summertime.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Things That Describe You and Your College Friends

The craziest, funniest, and most unforgettable college memories are impossible to create without an amazing group of friends.

1790
College Friends
Marina Lombardi

1. You'll never run out of clothes when you have at least four closets to choose from.

2. You embrace and encourage each other’s horrible, yet remarkable dance moves.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments