What I know about Wuthering Heights: not a blessed thing other than it is writing by Emily Bronte, sister to (the now sainted in my estimation) Charlotte Bronte.
Due to circumstances beyond my control I, sadly, will have to go digital for this one. I'll miss taking notes and underlining whole passages. It's either go digital or wait two whole weeks to get the book. I'm a creature significantly affected by entropy. If I had to wait two weeks for the next in the series it is actually likely that I might not find my way back to this blog.
Chiefly it should be interesting to see how much of an influence her sister's writing had on her. Also I wonder how much of their common experiences will be evident in the writing.
I've heard that Wuthering Heights is dark and creepy. Apparently creepy enough to inspire a modern retelling called Wuthering High School. From the Lifetime channel because...well...who else?
Pax,
W
Monday, March 16, 2015
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Principle and the Totalitarian Temptation (To Kill A Mockingbird Ch 19-31)
When we were young we glutted ourselves on tales of daring do, fairy tales, and all manner of stories that instill in us a sense of justice. We believe, at such an early age, that evil doers are punished and the good and virtuous will rise from their plight on eagles' wings. My daughter has had to deal with this lately. Her sense of "fairness" is being attacked on all sides by reality.
My heart broke for Jem in this section. He's forced to grow up and realize that the world isn't fair or just. There are moments of fairness and slight breezes of justice that can be felt, but there are more times when neither will appear. For Tom Robinson the cards were stacked against him just because of the color of his skin. Things are wrong, in this world. We can easily go about our days seeing injustice and becoming bitter, wailing like Jem that it just isn't right. There are so few things we can do individually to affect major change.
I like what Miss Maudie says,
"I waited and waited to see you all come down the sidewalk, and as I waited I thought, Atticus Finch won't win, he can't win, but he's the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that. And I thought to myself, well, we're making a step - it's just a baby-step, bit it's a step."
There's something I refer to as the "Totalitarian Temptation" that comes along with big justice issues. Whether it's Gay Rights, Feminist issues, or either side of the abortion debate, there is this desire that crops up when we see the problem as too large. We presume that we know best and everyone else is stupid or uneducated and not entitled to their beliefs. We decide that what we need is the government to force the other side of the argument to capitulate. This is less than ideal. People don't like being told what to believe or what to do especially without having a say in the matter. It often leads to resentment and sometimes violence. When we talk about these justice issues we're really talking about matters of the heart not just of the mind. Forced acceptance may seem like the best route, but only the law has been changed. You can outlaw abortion but you haven't changed the fact that people are still going to seek it. And so, I love this attitude of "baby steps". If you force the change then you disrespect everyone. Like Scout says to Jem, "How can you hate Hitler so bad and be so ugly about folks at home?" when he wants to force the people to change their minds.
There's a lot about the book I could write about here. I could write about how hilarious Scout is in her girly dress at the Missionary Tea when asked where her pants are, since she's a tomboy, and she declares that her britches are on under the dress. The final scene with the reveal of Boo and the second "mad dog" that had to be taken down was masterfully written to a Bradbury degree. Simply perfect. And I'd love to go into how much of an influence Truman Capote (the real life Dill to Harper's Scout) was with some of the sharp moments of language such as in the description of Mrs. Merriweather as a "faithful Methodist under duress". However, none of that is the real takeaway from this novel.
The perpetual question for the next three years or so of these books has been and will be, "Why do they endure?" Why ARE these the books you should read before you die?
One answer so far has been the relatability of the characters and situations. All three novels so far have come off as real people in real situations rather than some idealized version of events. There is something amazingly concrete that even 250 years removed from the original material we respond.
I think the other, larger answer has something to do with a quality of the characters themselves. When I look at Jane Eyre I can't help but admire her. I admire her most, out of many reasons, for her principles. In To Kill a Mockingbird I have to say that Jem, Scout, and Boo don't endure. At least not as much as Atticus. As much as it is from Scout's perspective, this book is really about Atticus. He is a man of principle, and quiet principle at that. Atticus follows those principles to their logical end even in the face of intimidation, mockery, and threats of violence. He makes mistakes. He's not the perfect parent. He's not even the best lawyer in the state. I couldn't help but hear Jane's voice relating how her principles were there to be clung to in the worst and most maddening of times. Even when it appears that Jem has murdered Mr. Ewell in self defense he wasn't going to buckle from his principles.
It's not pride, though it could be misinterpreted as such, and it's not adherence to any old principle or idea that comes along. I got the sense that this is a man who has weighed out all options and found that this is the best way to live, these are the things to cling to. I think we'd like to believe that is who we are, but I'm not sure these days. Opinions move with the tides, principles shift with the opinion and what is expedient to our interests. Somewhere in our DNA I think we all recognize that Atticus is as much a hero as Hercules, perhaps even more so. At least we want to be like him even if we don't succeed. In a relativistic society I think it gets harder and harder to hold on to our principles. Someone once asked me if I thought I was able to believe in something, an ideal or a principle, even if every single person on the planet thought it was ridiculous. I answered then as I'll answer now, "I'd like to think so." But then again I can't decide between two pop tarts which is better. (Today I'm leaning Brown Sugar but other days it's Blueberry)
Next up is Wuthering Heights by one of the other Bronte sisters. It should be interesting to see how similar their styles are and where their inspirations cross.
Pax,
Will Arbaugh
My heart broke for Jem in this section. He's forced to grow up and realize that the world isn't fair or just. There are moments of fairness and slight breezes of justice that can be felt, but there are more times when neither will appear. For Tom Robinson the cards were stacked against him just because of the color of his skin. Things are wrong, in this world. We can easily go about our days seeing injustice and becoming bitter, wailing like Jem that it just isn't right. There are so few things we can do individually to affect major change.
I like what Miss Maudie says,
"I waited and waited to see you all come down the sidewalk, and as I waited I thought, Atticus Finch won't win, he can't win, but he's the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that. And I thought to myself, well, we're making a step - it's just a baby-step, bit it's a step."
There's something I refer to as the "Totalitarian Temptation" that comes along with big justice issues. Whether it's Gay Rights, Feminist issues, or either side of the abortion debate, there is this desire that crops up when we see the problem as too large. We presume that we know best and everyone else is stupid or uneducated and not entitled to their beliefs. We decide that what we need is the government to force the other side of the argument to capitulate. This is less than ideal. People don't like being told what to believe or what to do especially without having a say in the matter. It often leads to resentment and sometimes violence. When we talk about these justice issues we're really talking about matters of the heart not just of the mind. Forced acceptance may seem like the best route, but only the law has been changed. You can outlaw abortion but you haven't changed the fact that people are still going to seek it. And so, I love this attitude of "baby steps". If you force the change then you disrespect everyone. Like Scout says to Jem, "How can you hate Hitler so bad and be so ugly about folks at home?" when he wants to force the people to change their minds.
There's a lot about the book I could write about here. I could write about how hilarious Scout is in her girly dress at the Missionary Tea when asked where her pants are, since she's a tomboy, and she declares that her britches are on under the dress. The final scene with the reveal of Boo and the second "mad dog" that had to be taken down was masterfully written to a Bradbury degree. Simply perfect. And I'd love to go into how much of an influence Truman Capote (the real life Dill to Harper's Scout) was with some of the sharp moments of language such as in the description of Mrs. Merriweather as a "faithful Methodist under duress". However, none of that is the real takeaway from this novel.
The perpetual question for the next three years or so of these books has been and will be, "Why do they endure?" Why ARE these the books you should read before you die?
One answer so far has been the relatability of the characters and situations. All three novels so far have come off as real people in real situations rather than some idealized version of events. There is something amazingly concrete that even 250 years removed from the original material we respond.
I think the other, larger answer has something to do with a quality of the characters themselves. When I look at Jane Eyre I can't help but admire her. I admire her most, out of many reasons, for her principles. In To Kill a Mockingbird I have to say that Jem, Scout, and Boo don't endure. At least not as much as Atticus. As much as it is from Scout's perspective, this book is really about Atticus. He is a man of principle, and quiet principle at that. Atticus follows those principles to their logical end even in the face of intimidation, mockery, and threats of violence. He makes mistakes. He's not the perfect parent. He's not even the best lawyer in the state. I couldn't help but hear Jane's voice relating how her principles were there to be clung to in the worst and most maddening of times. Even when it appears that Jem has murdered Mr. Ewell in self defense he wasn't going to buckle from his principles.
It's not pride, though it could be misinterpreted as such, and it's not adherence to any old principle or idea that comes along. I got the sense that this is a man who has weighed out all options and found that this is the best way to live, these are the things to cling to. I think we'd like to believe that is who we are, but I'm not sure these days. Opinions move with the tides, principles shift with the opinion and what is expedient to our interests. Somewhere in our DNA I think we all recognize that Atticus is as much a hero as Hercules, perhaps even more so. At least we want to be like him even if we don't succeed. In a relativistic society I think it gets harder and harder to hold on to our principles. Someone once asked me if I thought I was able to believe in something, an ideal or a principle, even if every single person on the planet thought it was ridiculous. I answered then as I'll answer now, "I'd like to think so." But then again I can't decide between two pop tarts which is better. (Today I'm leaning Brown Sugar but other days it's Blueberry)
Next up is Wuthering Heights by one of the other Bronte sisters. It should be interesting to see how similar their styles are and where their inspirations cross.
Pax,
Will Arbaugh
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Bigotry and Mob Mentality (To Kill A Mockingbird Ch. 11-18)
Finally I get a moment where I'm not cleaning up or dealing with the mucus of my children. Yes, the house of Plague and Woe is on the decline. My children are happier, my wife has returned from her self imposed exile, and while they are out enjoying the day I can at long last make a post.
Last time we covered all of the southernisms from Scuppernongs to Lane cake. Today we get into the meat of the book where everything shifts away from idyllic (aside from school and forgetful pre-teen fiance's) childhood to real world grown up problems. The problems have been there lurking in the dark and making themselves known about as much as Boo Radley. The hard shift comes pretty quickly.
At the start of this second third of the book we are introduced to Mrs. Dubose who appears initially as a terrible woman. Scout tries to say "hey" and is accused of being an ugly girl and how dare she say "hey" when she should be saying "good afternoon". We've all known and disliked someone like Mrs. Dubose. Nothing is ever good enough, their beliefs and understandings are from two or three generations ago enough to be alien or anathema entirely to our own conceptions, and they feel it is their duty to tell everyone how best to live. They seem angry at the world for changing at all. I've disregarded them numerous times before as just old people who are just mean, crazy, or both. When Jem gets furious at her Atticus reminds me "Easy does it, son...She's an old lady and she's ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it's your job not to let her make you mad." Advice I wish I would have taken on a number of occasions.
Jem has a fit at Mrs. Dubose insulting his father and thrashes the her flowers to bits. He's punished for this by having to go read to her for an hour or two every day. During this time Scout and Jem notice that she goes into these queer little fits, and they suspect that she keeps adding time to their reading making it even longer. Within the past few years I've become well acquainted with the maxim "Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle". It is very easy to simplify everyone's behaviors into "they're just dumb" or "they're just mean" and caring very very little for that third dimension. There's always another dimension to people. Everyone has a secret struggle or a secret pain that informs their behavior. We all have them and we tend to act like other people shouldn't.
My greatest struggle tends to be with self doubt. Any time someone gives me a compliment I deflect it a bit with humor because if it actually gets to me core I start examining every word of what they are saying, the thirty possible meanings, then I try to gauge the sincerity based on how related to me they are because the closer you are the more likely you are to say it just to not hurt my feelings, and the final stage is how accurate your perception of me may or may not be...ARG! It's all automatic. And why? Cause of a wound left over from my childhood. When others react to pain from their childhood I tend to come across as "Ugh..please, get over it" ignoring their third dimension.
When Mrs. Dubose dies and all is revealed about her addiction to morphine and the fact that she was trying to die free of it then Jem becomes sensitive to that third dimension. Sometimes I wonder if we humans are even capable of being sensitive to that third dimension without knowledge. Maybe that's what being kind and being a gentleman is all about...allowing for another's pain, grief, and to be treated humanely without knowledge of exactly why we should.
I loved the point at which Jem turns twelve and he becomes "difficult to live with". Scout simplifies the situation with her best guess of, "All he needs is somebody to beat him up and I ain't big enough." Summer comes and Dill, Scouts only hope and solace, doesn't end up joining them because he has a new dad. Scout, of course is distraught. ...without him, life was unbearable. I stayed miserable for two whole days." If only Bella from Twilight had the same temperament. It would have been a totally different book.
With Atticus out of town and no Sunday school teacher for the kids at the "white church" Calpurnia takes them to her church. Here is what I am beginning to understand about the great books so far: the "evil" or the "bad" is not exclusive to one side or the other. Each side, blacks and whites, has bigots. When Lula gets all pissed off at Calpurnia for bringing them I was happy to see the balanced approach. The first time I ever realized there was a difference between black and white was because of someone much like Lula. I didn't learn about racism from a white bigot and that has influenced my view ever since. Hatred and bigotry aren't exclusive to any color or gender, though people may wish it was otherwise.
I was delighted to have a small peek into the southern black church culture as a whole. I loved that the song leader was the city garbage man, something real about that, and I felt a bit of wonder reading about "linin'". Other cultures, even within the borders of the US, fascinate me quite a bit. You don't have to go very far to have your paradigms challenged.
After that experience, in comes Aunt Alexandra to live with them. Good...Lord.
"How'd you like for her to come live with us?"
"I said I would like it very much, which was a lie, but one must lie under certain circumstances and at all times when one can't do anything about them."
Everything about them starts to change, including how Atticus relates to them. One night he tries to relate about how their Aunt wants them to understand that they "aren't from run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations' gentle breeding..."There's this quiet, understated moment when Atticus realizes what's come over him, that he doesn't talk to his children that way and he drops the subject telling them to forget about it completely. It's a moment of real strength for a father let alone a single father. I often complain that I'm not the father I want to be and berate myself. My wife tells me, among other things, no body ever is the parent they think they should be, but I recognize when I've done something wrong, ask forgiveness of my children, and attempt change. This quiet moment seems replete with that kind of strength.
After Dill is discovered, having run away from his mom and new dad, the book takes the hard shift to focusing on the trial. I love the moment when Scout unknowingly "shames" Mr. Cunningham. (an aside: all three of these novels have had something to do with an entail. weird.) Atticus' observation that sometimes mobs need to be reminded they are made up of men was spot on. Nothing scares me more than mob mentality. The psychology of it is truly frightening when you research it. We forget who we are and can immediately justify all sorts of terrible things as a part of a mob. There's no logic, just emotion.
It's easy to see where the case is headed, possibly because I've seen too many legal thrillers, and where the holes are. I suspect the case won't go as Atticus wishes it would. Often, to a man of principle, it doesn't actually matter if the rest of the world agrees or if they succeed.
I'm really fascinated to see how this book ends, and to see Boo Radley finally come out, which I assume he does. I'm very close to the end so, only a few more days are left of this book and then it's on to Wuthering Heights by that other Bronte sister, Emily. That is unless I decide to read the whole Bible again. ;)
Pax,
W
Last time we covered all of the southernisms from Scuppernongs to Lane cake. Today we get into the meat of the book where everything shifts away from idyllic (aside from school and forgetful pre-teen fiance's) childhood to real world grown up problems. The problems have been there lurking in the dark and making themselves known about as much as Boo Radley. The hard shift comes pretty quickly.
At the start of this second third of the book we are introduced to Mrs. Dubose who appears initially as a terrible woman. Scout tries to say "hey" and is accused of being an ugly girl and how dare she say "hey" when she should be saying "good afternoon". We've all known and disliked someone like Mrs. Dubose. Nothing is ever good enough, their beliefs and understandings are from two or three generations ago enough to be alien or anathema entirely to our own conceptions, and they feel it is their duty to tell everyone how best to live. They seem angry at the world for changing at all. I've disregarded them numerous times before as just old people who are just mean, crazy, or both. When Jem gets furious at her Atticus reminds me "Easy does it, son...She's an old lady and she's ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it's your job not to let her make you mad." Advice I wish I would have taken on a number of occasions.
Jem has a fit at Mrs. Dubose insulting his father and thrashes the her flowers to bits. He's punished for this by having to go read to her for an hour or two every day. During this time Scout and Jem notice that she goes into these queer little fits, and they suspect that she keeps adding time to their reading making it even longer. Within the past few years I've become well acquainted with the maxim "Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle". It is very easy to simplify everyone's behaviors into "they're just dumb" or "they're just mean" and caring very very little for that third dimension. There's always another dimension to people. Everyone has a secret struggle or a secret pain that informs their behavior. We all have them and we tend to act like other people shouldn't.
My greatest struggle tends to be with self doubt. Any time someone gives me a compliment I deflect it a bit with humor because if it actually gets to me core I start examining every word of what they are saying, the thirty possible meanings, then I try to gauge the sincerity based on how related to me they are because the closer you are the more likely you are to say it just to not hurt my feelings, and the final stage is how accurate your perception of me may or may not be...ARG! It's all automatic. And why? Cause of a wound left over from my childhood. When others react to pain from their childhood I tend to come across as "Ugh..please, get over it" ignoring their third dimension.
When Mrs. Dubose dies and all is revealed about her addiction to morphine and the fact that she was trying to die free of it then Jem becomes sensitive to that third dimension. Sometimes I wonder if we humans are even capable of being sensitive to that third dimension without knowledge. Maybe that's what being kind and being a gentleman is all about...allowing for another's pain, grief, and to be treated humanely without knowledge of exactly why we should.
I loved the point at which Jem turns twelve and he becomes "difficult to live with". Scout simplifies the situation with her best guess of, "All he needs is somebody to beat him up and I ain't big enough." Summer comes and Dill, Scouts only hope and solace, doesn't end up joining them because he has a new dad. Scout, of course is distraught. ...without him, life was unbearable. I stayed miserable for two whole days." If only Bella from Twilight had the same temperament. It would have been a totally different book.
With Atticus out of town and no Sunday school teacher for the kids at the "white church" Calpurnia takes them to her church. Here is what I am beginning to understand about the great books so far: the "evil" or the "bad" is not exclusive to one side or the other. Each side, blacks and whites, has bigots. When Lula gets all pissed off at Calpurnia for bringing them I was happy to see the balanced approach. The first time I ever realized there was a difference between black and white was because of someone much like Lula. I didn't learn about racism from a white bigot and that has influenced my view ever since. Hatred and bigotry aren't exclusive to any color or gender, though people may wish it was otherwise.
I was delighted to have a small peek into the southern black church culture as a whole. I loved that the song leader was the city garbage man, something real about that, and I felt a bit of wonder reading about "linin'". Other cultures, even within the borders of the US, fascinate me quite a bit. You don't have to go very far to have your paradigms challenged.
After that experience, in comes Aunt Alexandra to live with them. Good...Lord.
"How'd you like for her to come live with us?"
"I said I would like it very much, which was a lie, but one must lie under certain circumstances and at all times when one can't do anything about them."
Everything about them starts to change, including how Atticus relates to them. One night he tries to relate about how their Aunt wants them to understand that they "aren't from run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations' gentle breeding..."There's this quiet, understated moment when Atticus realizes what's come over him, that he doesn't talk to his children that way and he drops the subject telling them to forget about it completely. It's a moment of real strength for a father let alone a single father. I often complain that I'm not the father I want to be and berate myself. My wife tells me, among other things, no body ever is the parent they think they should be, but I recognize when I've done something wrong, ask forgiveness of my children, and attempt change. This quiet moment seems replete with that kind of strength.
After Dill is discovered, having run away from his mom and new dad, the book takes the hard shift to focusing on the trial. I love the moment when Scout unknowingly "shames" Mr. Cunningham. (an aside: all three of these novels have had something to do with an entail. weird.) Atticus' observation that sometimes mobs need to be reminded they are made up of men was spot on. Nothing scares me more than mob mentality. The psychology of it is truly frightening when you research it. We forget who we are and can immediately justify all sorts of terrible things as a part of a mob. There's no logic, just emotion.
It's easy to see where the case is headed, possibly because I've seen too many legal thrillers, and where the holes are. I suspect the case won't go as Atticus wishes it would. Often, to a man of principle, it doesn't actually matter if the rest of the world agrees or if they succeed.
I'm really fascinated to see how this book ends, and to see Boo Radley finally come out, which I assume he does. I'm very close to the end so, only a few more days are left of this book and then it's on to Wuthering Heights by that other Bronte sister, Emily. That is unless I decide to read the whole Bible again. ;)
Pax,
W
Friday, March 6, 2015
Appalachian American Alliteration
I apologize, dear reader, for not having made more frequent updates as of late. The sad story, and it is a tale of woe, is that a week ago my son got sick, then my daughter got sick, and then I, being a stay at home dad, was pretty much doomed to get sick. My wife, a CPA hip deep into tax season, chose to abandon us for the relatively sanitary conditions of her Sister's house. Today is pretty much the first time I've been able to string sentences together in a manner recognizable as language.
Fortunately I was able to recognize words and sentences while being subjected to the plague, and so I've nearly read to the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. I'll be posting my thoughts on the second third another time, but today I have another reason for posting.
As I've mentioned, I am a huge fan of "Appalachian American" culture and language. It really does need its own specification because it is so very different from anything you'll experience anywhere else. Yes, we speak the same "language" and all embrace the general American culture. It can, however, be as different from Alaska to Georgia as it is from the U.S.A. to England. There are roots and the same language but so very different. Sometimes it can be different words for the same thing, as in an elevator in the U.S. and a lift in England, or distinct local oddities.
Rabbit Tobacco: When scout describes the condition of the Radley yard she mentions that Johnson Grass and Rabbit Tobacco grew in abundance there. Johnson Grass is a common enough around the nation and is actually native to the Mediterranean area. It's apparently very good at protecting against soil erosion. Rabbit Tobacco, though, I had never heard of before. Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, is its scientific designation if that sort of thing matters to you. It also goes by the names "old field balsam" and "sweet everlasting." When it is crushed it gives of the scent of maple. The Native Americans of all tribes found a ton of different uses for it; everything from muscle cramps, asthma (when smoked), rheumatism, cold syrup, mumps, fevers, headaches, to dispelling ghosts and bringing back those who had "lost their mind". From what I've read it was actually common for children in the south to smoke the leaves to mimic adults smoking actual tobacco.
Smilax: When Mr. Cunningham pays Atticus however he can, for Christmas he dropped off a crate of "smilax and holly". While it may have been just for the purpose of Christmas decoration, the root of the smilax is predominantly used in sarsaparilla and other root beers.
Croker Sack: Essentially a burlap sack or it could mean any sack made of a coarse material. The colorful name comes from it being the kind of sack used to hold frogs when hunting them.
Hain't: This was a hard one to find. In the book Walter Cunningham, walking past the Radley place with Jem and Scout, declared that there was a "hain't" that lived in the decrepit house. Most places online simply say it's a contraction of the word "hasn't" and "ain't". The only things I could find other than this were odd mentions that it means a ghost or spirit. In one place a sermon referred to the Holy Spirit as the "Holy Haint". Of course, the context lends credence to the paranormal definition. I quite like the word "hain't". It feeds into my brain regarding the nature or supernatural creatures, that they are things that shouldn't be but yet are.
Crackling Bread: Because Calpurnia go "so lonesome" with both kids away from school she made Crackling Bread. This is something on my list of regional foods to try. From what I could gather, it's cornbread made with pork rinds in it. I can't stand a pork rind by itself (fried pork skin...just doesn't sound appealing) but put it in cornbread and something in the pleasure center of my brain says, "Oh, that could be nummy."
Scuppernongs: The state fruit of North Carolina, Scuppernongs are similar to your average white grape but are larger and more round. The name is due to where they were first found, the Scuppernong River in North Carolina. Also in North Carolina is the oldest cultivated grape vine known to man. It's the 400 year old "Mother Vine" on Roanoke Island.
Lane Cake: Miss Maudie makes up a Lane Cake for Mr. Avery who helped fight the fire. I've made a few cakes in my time and have looked over many descriptions of recipes (mostly because I'm trying to find one that I had once when I was 5 years old that I still crave but haven't found its equal) and this is the first time I've heard one described as "bourbon-laden". There's a heck of a lot of bourbon in this baby...hoo wee. How much you ask? 3 cups of bourbon for one cake. DANG. Other than that there are raisins, pecans, coconut, and other variations.
Scout mentions that Miss Maudie made a Lane cake to welcome Aunt Alexandra "with so much shinny in that it made me tight."
Shinny: Liquor.
Habiliments: Clothing. Yeah...I was a bit disappointed to. I suppose the level of the word was increased to make it worth of Sunday dress.
Rotogravure: A process of mass production printing used at the time for magazines, art prints, and the like.
There were a few more colorful words and phrases that caught my eye, but I forgot to mark them in my copy because I was getting caught up in the story. After the showdown at the jail, I was burning through the book and can't wait to write some more about how truly wonderful it is. For now, though, I've got some cold medicine and a nap calling my name.
Pax,
W
Fortunately I was able to recognize words and sentences while being subjected to the plague, and so I've nearly read to the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. I'll be posting my thoughts on the second third another time, but today I have another reason for posting.
As I've mentioned, I am a huge fan of "Appalachian American" culture and language. It really does need its own specification because it is so very different from anything you'll experience anywhere else. Yes, we speak the same "language" and all embrace the general American culture. It can, however, be as different from Alaska to Georgia as it is from the U.S.A. to England. There are roots and the same language but so very different. Sometimes it can be different words for the same thing, as in an elevator in the U.S. and a lift in England, or distinct local oddities.
Rabbit Tobacco: When scout describes the condition of the Radley yard she mentions that Johnson Grass and Rabbit Tobacco grew in abundance there. Johnson Grass is a common enough around the nation and is actually native to the Mediterranean area. It's apparently very good at protecting against soil erosion. Rabbit Tobacco, though, I had never heard of before. Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, is its scientific designation if that sort of thing matters to you. It also goes by the names "old field balsam" and "sweet everlasting." When it is crushed it gives of the scent of maple. The Native Americans of all tribes found a ton of different uses for it; everything from muscle cramps, asthma (when smoked), rheumatism, cold syrup, mumps, fevers, headaches, to dispelling ghosts and bringing back those who had "lost their mind". From what I've read it was actually common for children in the south to smoke the leaves to mimic adults smoking actual tobacco.
Smilax: When Mr. Cunningham pays Atticus however he can, for Christmas he dropped off a crate of "smilax and holly". While it may have been just for the purpose of Christmas decoration, the root of the smilax is predominantly used in sarsaparilla and other root beers.
Croker Sack: Essentially a burlap sack or it could mean any sack made of a coarse material. The colorful name comes from it being the kind of sack used to hold frogs when hunting them.
Hain't: This was a hard one to find. In the book Walter Cunningham, walking past the Radley place with Jem and Scout, declared that there was a "hain't" that lived in the decrepit house. Most places online simply say it's a contraction of the word "hasn't" and "ain't". The only things I could find other than this were odd mentions that it means a ghost or spirit. In one place a sermon referred to the Holy Spirit as the "Holy Haint". Of course, the context lends credence to the paranormal definition. I quite like the word "hain't". It feeds into my brain regarding the nature or supernatural creatures, that they are things that shouldn't be but yet are.
Crackling Bread: Because Calpurnia go "so lonesome" with both kids away from school she made Crackling Bread. This is something on my list of regional foods to try. From what I could gather, it's cornbread made with pork rinds in it. I can't stand a pork rind by itself (fried pork skin...just doesn't sound appealing) but put it in cornbread and something in the pleasure center of my brain says, "Oh, that could be nummy."
Scuppernongs: The state fruit of North Carolina, Scuppernongs are similar to your average white grape but are larger and more round. The name is due to where they were first found, the Scuppernong River in North Carolina. Also in North Carolina is the oldest cultivated grape vine known to man. It's the 400 year old "Mother Vine" on Roanoke Island.
Lane Cake: Miss Maudie makes up a Lane Cake for Mr. Avery who helped fight the fire. I've made a few cakes in my time and have looked over many descriptions of recipes (mostly because I'm trying to find one that I had once when I was 5 years old that I still crave but haven't found its equal) and this is the first time I've heard one described as "bourbon-laden". There's a heck of a lot of bourbon in this baby...hoo wee. How much you ask? 3 cups of bourbon for one cake. DANG. Other than that there are raisins, pecans, coconut, and other variations.
Scout mentions that Miss Maudie made a Lane cake to welcome Aunt Alexandra "with so much shinny in that it made me tight."
Shinny: Liquor.
Habiliments: Clothing. Yeah...I was a bit disappointed to. I suppose the level of the word was increased to make it worth of Sunday dress.
Rotogravure: A process of mass production printing used at the time for magazines, art prints, and the like.
There were a few more colorful words and phrases that caught my eye, but I forgot to mark them in my copy because I was getting caught up in the story. After the showdown at the jail, I was burning through the book and can't wait to write some more about how truly wonderful it is. For now, though, I've got some cold medicine and a nap calling my name.
Pax,
W
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