Southern hospitality is a very southern part of chapter one. It was a social norm at the time and was just what you did. If people came over, you made them as comfortable as possible. This was something people expected. In chapter one, Willie and his crew went to his dad’s house in Mason City for a photo shoot. As soon as everyone had sat down, they were taken care of: “The nigger woman brought in a pitcher of water on a tray with three glasses… Lucy Talos took one glass and Sadie Burke another, and the rest of us just passed around the third glass…”(p37). Nobody said thank you, or even acknowledged this kind action, it was just expected. Someone probably would have noticed it hadn’t happened, though, but this is unlikely because that was just what you did in the South. When Willie and Jack went went to the Judge’s house, Judge didn’t offer them anything. This was a sign of disrespect, and Willie knew it. He said, “Judge I trust you don’t mind Jack pouring me a slug? You know, Southern hospitality”(p63). The Judge didn’t want Willie or Jack there, and Willie wanted the Judge to know he wasn’t swayed. He’d give himself the Southern hospitality he thought he deserved, just to make Judge Irwin mad. Again, the polite hospitality was just expected, and when it didn’t come, there was something wrong. This Southern hospitality is ingrained deep into the South and is still relevant today.
I completely agree with your assessment of southern hospitality, and I really like that you chose to do your blog post on an aspect of Southern life rather than the Southern diction and grammar. I definitely feel like Southern hospitality is a very important part of the book, especially as it is truly different from what we would experience in our region, and is very unique to the South as whole. Very similar to Kate's post about alcohol and it's power and influence, you did a fantastic job representing the relationship between Southern hospitality and its subconscious meaning, particularly in your quote about Willie and Jack's exchange with Judge Irwin. As you said early on in your post, the Southern hospitality was expected, and someone would have noticed if it hadn't happened, as it would send a similar message to that which Judge Irwin wished to convey when he didn't offer Willie or Jack anything: that Willie and Jack were not welcome, and the Judge didn't want them in his house. By writing about the two different sides of Southern hospitality, I think you accurately captured a crucial aspect of Southern life that others may have just glanced over. I thought your post was very interesting and informative and I enjoyed it immensely.
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