Re is a de Es udios No eame icanos,
n!
4 (1996),
pp.
193 -201
THE PROMISE
OF
SUCCESS:
POSTWAR WHITE SOUTHERN
FICTIONAL APPROACH
TO
URBAN AMERICA
CARME
MANUEL
Uni e si a
de
Valencia
An
e a
o
p ospe i y has begun; and he e a e ew in elligen men a
Lhe
Sou h o-day who will no
a
once con ess ha
i
is des ined o be a a
b igh e
e a
han hey ha e
e e
seen. F ee labo is unlocking he weal h
o
a os and mines and alling wa e s in a way ha sla e-labo ne e could
ha e done. New machine y,
new
me hods a e b inging in a new day.
In
he
mids
o
he s i and mo emen
o
his indus ial e olu ion hese young men
a e g owing up. Hope and expec a ion a e in he ai : he
s em
discipline
o
po e y goads hem on, and he p omise
o
g ea success allu es hem.
Edi o ial. «Topics
o he
Time». Cen u y. Oc obe , 188
2.
A e he Ci il Wa
and
he end
o
he Recons uc ion pe iod, he p e ailing idea
h oughou No h
and
Sou h was ha
o
na ional econcila ion. Bo h sec ions el ha
he ime o s op wa ing «bloody shi s» had inally a i ed
o
be
eplaced by a apid
b o he ly eunion.
And
hen he New Sou h sp ang up in he Sou h.
The
e m
was
bom
wi h an ambiguous meaning, bu , acco ding o Paul M. Gas on, i be
ca
me
he symbol
which exp essed he change
o
ci iliza ion
o he
Old
Sou h in o
anew
one
(4). I s main
suppo e and spokesman was Hen y
W.
G ady
-e
di o
o
he Cons i u ion, he A lan a
newspape -, and i s bi h ce i ica e was he speech he p onounced be o e he New
England Socie y
o New
Yo k in 1886, which he i led «The New Sou h». The Sou heme
announced ha he
Old
Sou h
o
sla e y and secessionism had passed away and had
been eplaced by a
new
Sou h
o
union and libe y. G ady and he es
o
he p ophe s
o
194
Ca me Manuel
his New Sou h «aspi ed o ul ill he Ame ican success s o y in ali i s ami ica ions»,
because he p og am had ha aim and coun ed, among o he elemen s,
on
«a
e en
gospel o union and b o he hood,
o
acili a e ull accep ance in o he union, and
ailo ed
i s no ions o bo h indi idual and collec i e success o he dominan Ame ican
pa em»
(Gas on 84). Besides na ional econcilia ion, ano he o he main slogans o his
p ojec
elabo a ed by he de ende s o his New Sou h was ha
o he
ichness and powe
o he
mode o wo ld which had hei o igin in he cons uc ion
o
he new ailway ne wo ks,
new ac o ies, and no in he co on ields.
To
en ich he Sou h
i
was necessa y o
de o e hemsel es ully o lay he ounda ions
o
an indus ialized u ban socie y
and
o
enew old ag icul u a! me hods. Hence, Sou heme s had o u n hei eyes o
ad enising
p og ams which a ac ed No hem economic capi al and, in G ady's wo ds, « he
be e
class
o
immig an s», ha is o say, No hem a me s and labo e s om anglosaxon
s ock. When Hen y
W.
G ady p onounced his amous speech, his No hem audience
lis ened o wo ds and expec a ions ha could only be mus
ic
o hei ea s. The Sou h,
no
now ep esen ing a polí ica! h ea , became a my hical land o
be
desc ibed,
gloa ed
o e , and e en longed o . Fo so ne No hem w i e s i s p ewa ci iliza ion ca ne o
embody ali he i ues and ideals ha we e missing
in
hei No hem socie y,
which
was apidly su e ing a p ocess
o
indus ializa ion, and hus ge ing a he and a he
om i s o iginal A cadian se ing.
On
he o he hand, in he age
o
li e a y magazines
and local colo , No hem edi o s did no eally ha e o go o g ea leng hs o
coax
Sou hem w i e s in o swee ening hei s o ies wi h decayed mansions, ai h ul
black
e aine s, empo e ished bu highly espec ul ex-con ede a es and plan e s, al!
se ed
wi h a d op o wo
o
nos algia o bygone days.
Ye , he si ua ion li ed by pos wa Sou hem whi e w i e s is much mo e complex
han ha which he common o mula o he school
o
local colo seems o imply.
Caugh
in he sub le bu slippe y, and p o oundly isky, web
o
he poli ical si ua ion a he
ime, so ne
o
hese au ho s spen hei li es ying o econcile opposi e eelings: a
con ulsi e a ac ion o wha he No h ep esen ed wi h a
pa
ssiona e lo e and, abo e
all, unde s anding
o
wha hei egion eally was. The No h s ood o li e a y ame
and
na ional epu a ion.
The
Sou h, on he o he hand, mean li e a y isola ion, and insula i y.
The li es and li e a y ca ee s
o
wo appa en ly an i he ical w i e s, Geo ge
Wa
shing-
on Cable and Thomas Nelson Page, bes exempli y his a i ude. And hei inne s uggle
is bes d ama ized
in
wo no els: in Cable's John Ma ch, Sou he ne (1894) and
in
Page's Go don Kei h (1903).
These wo wo ks show he way Cable and Page, spu ed on by he New
Sou h'
s
economic egene a ion p og am, we e conscious ha in hei ic ion hey had
o
build
up he idea ha he plan a ion, as he embodimen o Sou hem an ebellum ideals,
wa
s
no longe ope a i e.
In
hei despe a e a emp o ca ch
up
wi h he es
o
he na ion,
hey we e commi
ed o c ea ing an al e na i e: a new ic ional u ban Sou he n wo ld
The P omi
se
o
Success: Pos wa Whi e Sou he n Fic ional App oach o U ban Ame ica
195
whe e only hose commi ed o indus ial and economic
p o
spe i y
hada
place. Bu ,
a
he same im
e,
hcy used his new locale o p ojec hei pligh as au ho s isola ed om
he main s eams
o
Ame ican li e a y ends. Hence, he he
oe
s
o
his new ic ion a e
launched in o ini ia ion i es which ake place a he No hem ci y and e um home
edeemed, pu i ied, and con e ed o a new c eed which labels hem no as egional
Sou heme s, bu as ull Ame icans capable
o
anscending hei own social and li e a y
p o incial limi s.
The ask, hen, ha Cable and Page ake on
in
hese no els
is
ou s anding. They
s a w i ing om he li e a y my h
o
he Sou hem gen leman and e-elabo a e
i
in
such a way ha hey ans o m i and c ea e a new my h: ha
o
he en e p ising New
Sou he n gen leman, o be e s ill, he Ame icanized pos wa Sou hem ci izen. Bu o
achie e hei goal hey eel o ced o s ike a balance be ween e e ence o hei pas
and
id
ealiza ion
o
he p esen and u u e.
I
migh be a gued ha hei e o s a e pe haps
less ha sh han one would hink because as
F.
N. Boney claims,
«
he
eally imp essi e
hing abou he his o ical Sou hem a is oc acy is he way i has always appea ed o be
unique while ac ually swimming
in
he mains eam
o
acquisi i e, capi alis ic Ame ican
li e»1• Bu he s iking achie emen he e is ha in hei depic ing
o
his new si ua ion,
hey ine i ably
aJI
again in o he my hmaking ap and de elop a m
y
h which akes
hold
o
he his o ie eali y
in
he same way ha he an ebellum a is oc a ic Sou hem
gen leman did in p ewa imes.
Cable
's
J
ohn
Ma ch, Sou he ne , and Page 's Go don Kei h deal wi h he psychic
and in ellec ual ma u ing o hei p o agonis s and hei adap a ion o a new u ban wo ld.
Cable is conce ned wi h he p oblem
o
c ea ing a new Sou h, ole an , in elligen ,
s ongly uni ied
in
s a e go e nmen s, and wi h good educa ional acili ies. In o de o
makc his poin clea , he w i e o e s in his no el
an
impo an change om his usual
ic ional se ing.
I
appea s as i he u ban socie y
o
New O leans and i s pic u esque
c eoles we e no he mos app op ia e ins umen s o achie e his goals, and hus he
ejec s he wo p incipal elemen s which had p o ided
hi
s en h onmen inside he
Sou hem local colo ic ion. He selec s an a ea si ua ed in he Sou hes
o
Tennessee
and No hem pa
o
Geo gia because he means he e i o y o be ep e
se
n a i e and
ypical
o
he en i e Sou h, whe e he mine al esou ces gi e him he oppo unily o
b oach, di ec ly, he Sou hem ques ions
o
indus ializa ion, economic eco e y, and
expansion
o
he pos wa New Sou h2• And his is whe e he se s John Ma ch who will
l.
F.
N. Boney poin s
ou
ha sla e y was he only di e ence be ween he sec ion, since
«
in
eali y he simila
i
ies be ween he capi alis ic, expansionis ic, op imis ic, acis land
o
Dixie
and he es
o
Ame ican we e much mo e s iking han he a ia ions. Ali o e he eme ging
Uni ed S a
es
economic oppo uni y and social mobili y allowed
h
e excepcional whi e man o
ise
as
high as
hi
s abili ies
(anda
li le luck) would ca y him» (229).
2.
«The new book was
o
be Cable's a emp o show he Sou h as i was. no h ough he
usual haze
o
local colo » (Rubín 30).
196 Ca me
Manuel
change om a s a e
o
innocence in o a s a e
o
knowledge,
om
his childhood
in o
hi
s
adul hood. His i s yea s a e imbued wi h he ain o he Old Sou h and hey a e ega ded
as a bu d
en
which he has o discha ge
o
achie e ull ma u i y and independence. Bu ,
e en
i
he is ma ked by a da k he i age, his new Sou heme -as he i le
o
he
no el
makes absolu ely
clea -
, opens up o he na ion, and
<loes
no emain cooped up
wi hin
his egional bo de s.
In Go don Kei h Page ies o sepa a e he Sou hem he o om his wo ld
and
o
show ha his success in o he geog aphical and social spaces is only possible
i
h
e
p o agonis anscends he code
o
alu
es
inhe i ed om he an ebellum ci iliza ion.
The deg ee o which Page concen a es on he mann
e
in
which co
n empo a y
Sou heme s b ing hei old code
o
conduc in o con ac wi h new social
p oblems
makes he no el a s udy
o
he new Sou heme and, hence,
o
hi
s change o new
mo e
s.
Con a y o he commonly held opinion ha he no el, se a om Page's adi ional
locale
o
he plan a ion, implies signi ican li e a y de e io a ion in his
p oduc ion
i
inco po a es he w i e 's mos since e and c i ica] ision
o
his pos wa socie y.
Page
also abandons his adi ional se ing- he u al plan a ion-and concen a es on desc ibing
he change
o
a small mining own in o a ci y, om Gumbold in o New Leeds,
which
sp ang « om a ch ysalis o a ull- ledged bu e ly wi h wings un olding in he
sun
o
p ospe i y» (Page 348)4• The Vi ginian needed o place his no el
in
a locale
eeming
wi h Ii e and whe e eal angible p oblems could be deal wi h as he plan a ion
had
become «an idyllic sanc ua y, a kind
o
sunny Shang i-la, in o which he ca es
o
he
wo ld
a
ely in uded» (Taylo
150).
Likewise, Go don Kei h dis ega ds he code
o
he
gen leman -cen al in o he wo ks by Page- because, as his a he con esses, i
ha
s
dep i ed old Sou heme s o aking
pan
in
he mode o wo ld: «l know no mo e
o
science,
si , han an Indian
...
he only sciences l e e hough l knew we e poli ics and wa ,
and
1 ha e ailed in bo h» (21).
Bu no only ha , as F ed Hobson explains,
i
is
«a s o y no so much
in
h
e
Sou hem as in he Ame ican g ain -a e elling
o
he ale, old
by
w i e s as ea ly as
Haw home,
o
he innocen and hono able
yo
ung man om
lh
e coun y coming o
he
ci y o make
hi
s o une»; e en mo e basically, «i is he s o y
o
he pilg im, he
knigh
o
i ue, encoun e ing Vani y Fai and su i ing -bu only a e a s uggle» (151
).
Go don Kei h demons a es ha he
is
no only capable
o
adap ing o hc new needs
and
su i ing in he u hless u ban indus ial socie y bu , mos impo an ly,
o being
one
o
3.
Fo
Ri c
hi
e D. Wa son, Gonlon Kei h «bec
om
es
poo
e
ic ion as i s h
e
o mo es
a h
e
om his o iginal plan a ion en i onmen » ( 178
);
o
Lucinda
H. Macke han, Go don Kei h
se
s o
show
in he n
o e
l
ha
« he h
in
gs
money s ands o
a e
wo hless when
com
pa ed o he
alues
o
his egion» (325).
4. Fu h
c
quo a ions om
Page
's
Go don Kei h will e e
o
he edi ion which appea s
in
hc
wo k ci1ed lis and will
be
iden i ied
by
page numbe s includ
ed
in
pa
en heses in he ex .
The P omise
o
Success: Pos wa Whi e Sou he n
Fi
c ional App oach o U ban Ame ica 197
i s main p o agonis s and suppo e s. He becomes he pe soni ica ion
o
wha he New
Sou h had o
be
: hono able, da ing and en e p ising.
He
accomoda es pe ec ly o he
new a de and jus emembe s he old way wi h so ne sligh nos algia.
In he
p o
cess o John Ma ch's and Go don Kei h's ans onna ion in o new
Sou heme s hey a e con on ed wi h a numbe
o
pe ils which hey ha e o dodge as
pa
o
hei mo al con es o p o e ha ma e ial success in
an
u ban Sou h does no
endange hem spi i ually. John Ma ch, encou aged by local leade s and Yankee
capi alis s, s a s o exploi
hi
s lands, ollowing he dic a es
o
he new c eed. Bu his
ums ou o
be
no an
easy ask, because he di he s be ween he eachings
o
his a he ,
which a e based on hones y and good manne s eminiscen
o
he Old Sou h, and he
p esen si ua ion, which no only in ol es he na u al p oble
ms
bu o e co up ion.
I ,
on he one hand, Ma ch eels a ac ed
by
he p ojec
o
co
llabo a ing wi h his New
Sou h; on he o he , he canno help condemning i mo ally. None heless,
i
is only when
he young Sou h
eme
con ac s he No hem capi alis ha he sees a new pe spec
i
e:
«I 's no becau
se
h
e's
a Yankee. I 's simply because h
e's
in wi h he imes. He knows
wha 's go o come and wha 's go o go, and how o help hem do i so's o make hem
co
un !
He
belongs-pshaw-he belongs o a li e wo ld. Now, he e
in
his sleepy old Dixie»
(Cable
199)5.
Bu , a he same ime, his p ocess leads him o become conscious
o
he
ac ha he changes announced by he go eming class a e a om being a h ea
o
he
sac ed ounda ions upon which he egion is base
d,
because, e en hough he Sou h is
being shaken by he ímpe us
o
his new o de ,
«S
ill he old plan a ion slumbe ed on
below he le e!
o
he wo ld 's g ea isen loods
o
emancipa ions and en anchisemen s
whe eon pa y pla on
ns
, measu es, iumphs, and de ea s only loa ed and eddied, me e
d i -logs
o
a cu en om which hey migh be cas up, bu could no um back» (235).
John Ma ch aces a pain ul p ocess
o
disco e y h oughou he no el. Bu he clash
wi h he ac ual mo i a ions ha unde ly his c eed
o
p og ess
<loe
s no launch him in o
a c
u
sade o poli ical pu i
y.
He a he
co
me
s o
g
ips wi h eali y and inally consen s
o associa e wi h he local leade s. Thus, a om becoming a quixo ic cha ac e igh ing
agains he gigan ic bu
co
up ed machine
o
powe , Ma ch appea s as a ma u e
Sou heme ying o make he bes
o
a bad si ua ion. In his con ex his joumeys
o
he
No h, o look o economic suppo and publicize an immig a ion scheme, a e seen as
h
e logical s ep
in
his p ocess
o
educa ion,
o
be e , e-educa ion.
Simila ly, i is ue ha Go don Kei
h
de
spises he
ma
e ia lis ic e hic
o
he Gilded
5. Fu he quo a ions om Cable
's
Jolm Ma ch, Sou he ne will e e o
h
e edi ion which
appea s
in
he wo k ci ed lis and wi
ll
be iden i i
ed
by page numbe s included in pa en heses in
he
e
x .
6. Ha ie R. Holman w iles ha «Page's answe o
h
e New Sou h ... was
a
e
ali no
answe , o his young man ... e e ed o he s
11mmum
bonum, he old way
o
li e as
i
had been
Ji
ed be o e
he
wa » ( 167). And Theodo e
L.
G oss conside s ha «Go don Kei h ... is con
in
ced
ha socie y has bec
om
e co up because
o
indus
ia
li
za
ion» (
123
).

198 Ca me
Manu
el
Age and his has led c i ics
o ead
he no el as an indic men agains he New Sou h6.
Bu , in ac , he c ude ma e ialism
in
he no el is simply associa ed wi h he No h,
i
s
wi h he dishones p ojec s ca ied ou du ing he Recons uc ion and, a e ,
wi h
he
decei ul, hough ashionable, wo ld
o
New Yo k. Go don Kei h condemns only
ho
se
new capi alis s who manipula e weal h wi hou p oducing i , and who di e signi ican ly
om he a i ude
o
he p o agonis , who i
es
o
boos indus y
a
home. In ac ,
hi
s
joumey No h
is
no ega ded as a simple ini ia ion ip
o
he he
o
, bu as he necessa y
nigh ma e
o
he
young Sou hem man who mus adap o o he ways
o
li e
di e en
o n hose in which he has been imme sed. «
He
was alone
in
he wildemess»
(149),
says Page
o
his p o agonis . Hence, when Kei h e ums home he is new man
who
ha
s
le his adolescence behind and is imbued wi h he au a
o
knowledge and expe ience.
In ac , his s uggle in ha wo ld has le pe manen ma ks on him: «
The
mou h had
lo
s
some hing
o
he smi
le
ha once lu ked abou i s co ne s
...
Expe ience o li e had
sobe
ed
him» (158,
11).
Thus, wha he expe imen s is symbolic
o he
con on a ion be ween
he
u al Sou h and he indus ialized No h.
John Ma ch and Go don Kei h come
o
e ms wi h he new social si ua ion,
and
o do his, hey ha e o shake
o
hei pas he i age, a pack
o
ideals de i ed om an
ex inc ci iliza ion, which has become obsole e in he mode n wo ld. Bu hei accep ance
o
he new ideology is no au oma ic. They go h ough a kind
o
con e sion, ull
o
di icul ies,
si
nce
h
ey canno ejec hei pas cul u al and social legacy all
o
a s
udden
.
In he same way hey ma u e and gain expe ience, hei owns, once lou ishing u al
socie ies bu du ing he pos wa su e ing om an economic unde de elopmen , d
ecide
o emb ace he p og essi e c eed
o
he New Sou h and endea ou o p ospe
by
encou aging o eign in es men . Thus, when hey come
ace o
ace wi h he dep i ed
pos wa eali y, hey show ha Sou heme s, hough de ea ed and humilia ed, ha e
he
mo al s amina
o
o e come he social, cul u al, and economic obs acles ha sepa a e
hem om he la es social ad ances and, na u all
y,
om success; as well as, wi h hei
dynamic and ene ge ic
sp
i i , o lead hei egion o a new e a
o
u ban and indus ial
splendo .
Bu i is no only John Ma ch and Go don Kei h who a e p o-New Sou h men
in
he no els. Mos
o
he cha ac e s a e con inced ha his pos wa Sou h, simila like
as
he Phoenix Bi d, will ise om i s own ashes wi h enewed you h and ene gy o
co
m-
pe e wi h any modem socie y: «The e's enough mine al weal h in Widewood alone
o
make Suez a Pi sbu g, and wa e -powe enough
o
make he a Minneapolis, and
we
' e
going o make he bo h, si !» (139), says a local leade in John Ma ch.
Bu
his
will
only be possible
i
i can coun on No he n economic help and Sou hem mo al
an
d
poli ical suppo . Hence, one
o he
main ques ions discussed
in
he no els is he a e
mp
o a ac No hem capi al in o he egion. «Ali
we
wan in
Dix.i
e is capi al» ( 140), s a es
a cha ac e Cable's in he no el. «The mine al esou ces we e simply eno mous,
and
we e lying
in
sigh o any one o pick up who knew how
o
deal wi h he people
o
whom hey belonged» (78), exclaims a No hem capi alis
in
Page's no el, con inced
The P omise
o
Success: Pos wa Whi e Sou he n Fic ional App oach o U ban Ame ica 199
ha economic and social di icul ies a e no hind ance o hose Sou heme s who, willing
o le aside sec ional poli ical ques ions, show
an
open spi i which makes i possible o
eco e pas his o ie glo y and, mos impo an , o
jo
in he economic p og essi e cu en
o po
s wa Ame ica.
None heless, bo h p o agonis s ha e o ace p oblems a home. John Ma ch is
awa e
o
domes ic co up ion and plans o sel -en ichmen . Bu , his new Sou heme ,
a om bu ying his head in he sand, decides o
<leal
wi h ouble alone. And i is his
esolu eness and ankness which a e ecognised and p aised o he bene i o h.is socie
y,
as he
is
ega ded as a key pe son in he de elopmen
o
his new s a e
o
hings. His
own becomes amous and he na ion 's eyes um on Dixie, e en hough, «ha dly in
ai h
»,
as Cable claims i onically, «ye wi h a ce ain highly comme cial hope and
cha i y», since « he ligh ing
o
e e y new coke u nace, he se ing i e o any local
ubbish-heap
o
dead adi ions, seemed jus hen o No hem longings he blush
o
a
new economic and poli ical dawn o e he whole Sou h» (458). Bu his adical
ans o ma ion om a u al socie y in o a indus ial socie y whe e p ospe i y is booming,
and « he way
he' e
slappin' money,
b'
Jinks, in o imp o emen s and en e p ises -
qua ies, oads, b idges, schools, mills- ' would make a Wes e n own's head swim!»
(459), has a pe nicious e ec on he he oes
o
hese no els. John Ma ch and Go don
Kei h a e made awa e
o
he ac ha he p ospe i y desi ed o hei egion by so ne
o
hei mos socially ou s anding coun y ellows ac ually hides a limi less yeaming o
sel -p o i . And ha is he p ice hey ha e o pay
o
su i e in hese new imes. As
Ma ch con esses,
«l
know ha wi h e en no hing le bu he expe iences,
l'm
a whole
wo ld iche , in hings ha make a eal manhood and li e» (
481
).
On he o he hand, he a ac ion ha No
hem
u ban socie y exe s on John
Ma ch and Go don Kei h canno o e come he in ense pe sonal qualms ha bo h
w i
e s
ha
e
abou hei egion. When John Ma ch
is
asked, «wha is
i
in
he Sou h we Sou hene s
!o e so?» (326), he e eals ha «Üu Sou h isn' a ma e
o
bounda ies, o skies, o
Jandscapes ... I 's a ce ain ungeog aphical Sou h-wi hin- he Sou h-
as
po able and in-
angible as-as-'.
'As
ou he souls in ou bodies'» (326-327). This is a new John Ma ch
b eaking he shell
o
his sou he ness. Bu he is only capable
o
e lec ing on bis egion,
once he has con on
ed
he ha sh eali y
o
li e, ha is he No h. And i is he c whe e
his egional backg ound makes him s and ou , and in he same way Thomas Nelson
Page's Go don Kei h is no iced because «He's a Sou heme , ha 's plain;
anda
gen le-
man, ha 's jusi as ce ain» (348).
John Ma ch's ca ee and he knowledge he acqui es h oughou he social and
economic change
o
bi
s egion b ing o mind Cable's own pligh in he Sou h. Thus,
when Ma ch eels us a ed because his a emp s o b ing abou his own egene a ion
sche ne o his p ope y ails, and he
is
in i ed o mo e No h and s a business he e,
he opens up his hea in a way eminiscen
o
he way Cable
's
eeling had been: «l jus
can' go! 1 musn' ! ... You know, his Suez soil isn' some h
in
g I
ca
n shake o ny shoes
as you migh ...
I'm
pa
o
i !
...
My place is he e!» (482-483). Likewise, Go don Kei h
200 Ca me
Manuel
is emp ed by he dazzling No hem wo ld, bu
he
decides o e u n home and
wo k
o
he p og ess
o
his egion.
In
ac , Kei h comes back o New Leeds, he new
u ban
and
indus ial Sou hem ci y, no o Elphis one, his
old
amily plan a ion, se ing
himsel
apa om he pas . This becomes a symbol
o
he p o agonis emb acing
he
new
Sou hem ci iliza ion
and
endowing he pas o al en i onmen
wi h
d eamy ones,
as
his
con e sion o he
new
Sou hem c eed ep esen s his sole jus i ica ion o del ing
in o
new age capi alism. Bo h no els, hen,.become he s o ies/his o ies
o
ali e, he
g ow h
o
a soul
in
a new wo ld g adually ising, in a e y diso de ly ashion, ou
o
he w eck
o
he
old. John Ma ch and Go don Kei h, simila ly
o
hei au ho s, become in ol ed di ec ly
wi h he p oblems
o
hei egion and expe imen con adic o y eelings
o
a ac ion
and
ejec ion.
A
he same ime, hey disco e
how
deeply hei oo s sink in o hei
land
and hei belonging
o
he
Sou h
makes
hem di e en , e en mo ally supe io .
Cable's and Page's a i ude in hei wo no els abou he
New
Sou h -John
Ma ch
,
Sou he ne and Go don Kei h- sha e, hen, impo an common poin s: bo h y o
make
hei
he o
he p o o ype
o
a Sou heme who was able o adap himsel o he
imes
o
he pos wa u ban
New
Sou h; bo h eel an u ge
o
in e p e his pe iod
o
ou side
obse e s and jus i y hei
way
o
li e; bo h eel an u ge o in e p e i o Sou he ne s
and
o hemsel es and, hus, cons ue hei no els as in ospec i e s udies on
inne
egional p oblems;
bo h
unde sco e hei new yeaming
o
belonging o he
na ion
be aying hei sen se
o
loss as de ea ed Ame icans in a coun y
o
plen y; and, inally,
in hei cons uc ion
o
an imagina y li e a y
new
Sou h, hey ind he only ca ha ical
elie
o
hei psychological us a ion as Sou heme s
and
as w i e s. Hence,
John
Ma ch, Sou he ne and Go don Kei h a e mo e hanjus lis s
o
Sou hem social p oblems
and sho comings. They a e Cable's and
Page's
bold con ession in on
o
hei
egion
and he wo ld
o
wha hey el he «new Sou he ne » had o
be
and
he ype
o
socie y
hey wan ed hei Sou h o become.
WORKSCITED
BONEY,
F.
N. «The
Sou hem
A is oc a .» The Midwes Qua e ly
XV
(Sp ing
1974):
2
15
-230.
CABLE, GEORGE
W.
John Ma ch, Sou he ne . New Yo k: Cha les
Sc ibne '
s
Sons,
1894.
GASTON,
PAUL
M. The New Sou h C eed: A S udy
in
Sou he n My hmaking.
New
Yo k: Al ed A. Knop , 1970.
GROSS, THEODORE. Thomas Ne/son Page. New
Yo k:
Twayne Publishe s, Inc., 1967.
HOBSON, FRED. Tell
Abou
he Sou h: The Sou he n Rage o Explain. Ba on
Rou
ge
& London: Louisiana S a e U
P,
1983.
HOLMAN, HARRIET R. The Li e a1y Ca ee
o
Thomas Nelson Page, 1884-1910.
Miami, Flo ida: Field
Re
sea ch P ojec s, 1978 (diss.
19
48).
The
P
o
mi
se
o
Success: Pos wa Whi e Sou he n
Fi
c ional App oach o U ban Ame ica 201
MACKETHAN, LUCINDA
H.
«Thomas Nelson
Page
:
The
Plan a ion as A cady.» The
Vi ginia Qua e ly Re iew LIV (Sp ing 1978):
314-332
.
PAGE,
THOMAS
N. Go don Kei h. New
Yo
k: Cha les Sc ibne
's
Sons, 1906.
Vol.
I
and II.
RUBIN, LOUIS D.
J
. The Fa away Coun y: W i e s
o
he
Mode n Sou h. Sea le: U
o Washing on P, 1963.
TA
YLOR,
WILLIAM
R. Ca alie
and
Yankee: The Old Sou h and Ame ican Na iona/
Cha ac e . Camb idge, Mass.: Ha a d U
P,
1979.
WATSON, RITCHIE
D.
J
. The Ca alie in Vi ginia Fic ion. Ba on Rou
ge
& London:
Louis
iana
S a e U
P,
1985.