Quote:
"As the mountains were denuded, the industrialists portrayed the families they were robbing as ''backward people'' and themselves as the prophets of progress. The missionaries who often accepted large donations from the industrialists exaggerated the ''otherness'' of these strange people."(O'brien, May 10, 2003).
Reaction:
According to an article posted in the New York Times, writer John O'brien believes that over industrialization of the land and the need for progress from outsiders has attributed to the over exaggeration and negative portrayal of Appalachian people. I chose this quote because I have witnessed and experienced first hand how Appalachian people are often seen as strange or "backwoods". I feel that Appalachian people don't fit into the norms of society because we do not conform to modernized ways of living. I firmly believe that we are a strong and self-reliant people who are determined to live by rooted traditions. We live off the land, do a little picking, and most importantly we go a country mile to help a friend or neighbor.
Reference:
O'brien, J. (2003, May 10). Tall tales of appalachia. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html
Related Resources:
"The People of Appalachia" is a web based article that depicts two photographs, one of an Appalachian man, and one of the resources that people are so readily to exploit.The article depicts an Appalachian tragedy, a continuing story of a wanton exploitation of their people, their place, and their resources. Below is one of the pictures contained in the article. To read and view the article click here.
I agree with you, people from West Virginia can live off their land and make due with what we have. Most of the time the happiest and strongest families are ones that do not have a lot but they make the best with what they do have. It's better to know you have an actual family member or friend that will help you out than to have a fancy loft apartment in a big city where you hardly know your neighbors.
ReplyDeleteI think West Virginians think about contact as face-to-face and personal, more that some states that prefer online contact. This may give us an disadvantage, but also a better understanding about the people around us. Gradually, we are conforming to the no-real-contact ways of society. This is sad, because major colleges in big cities are nightmarish. There are two classes for each subject you take, first there is the class where the professor comes in to lecture, and then he leaves. Then a graduate school student teaches the next class in which you can ask questions. You never actually talk to the professor. That set up is just sad.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to living off the land to an extent my grandparents and great grandparents on my fathers side. We would have a garden every summer since I could remember. I had come along much later after they decided to sell off all their animals, but I remember fondly of summer days where we would sit and snap beans, or shuckin' corn. I think that its important to be close to nature in the idea that it is what we all are a part of. And that when people believe that they are becoming progressive movers in society they are getting farther away from what it means to be alive and be human. You start to have to depend on other people for your survival and forget how to depend on yourself. For example; people whose sole food source are major grocers, what happens when those companies start going down or they raise their prices to high to afford. People wont know how to grow their own food to survive. I might not garden all the time or like my grandparents but I do know if I had to I could.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact the West Virginia isn't completely industrialized. There are good aspects to industrialization, but also down falls. Technology is a good thing, but also a terrible thing. I hate when companies come to our state and abuse our land. I love being outside and on the four wheeler, and the main location that we ride at was just bought by a gas company. The company destroyed the mountain, destroyed animals homes, and said they were going to plant trees and fix it back up, but of coarse that wasn't true. I hate when companies come in and either try to industrialize our state or use our resources to industrialize other states.
ReplyDeleteJulie, I completely agree that West Virginia people are very giving and love to life off the land.
ReplyDeleteJulie, I love that you wrote that we are loving and help a friend or neighbor. It is so true. I love how friendly people are here. I was always taught to smile and wave and maybe say hello to someone passing you by on the sidewalk or as you pass them through the door at the store. I do it every time and always get a "hello" or smile back. When I go to other states on vacation, people look at me like I am crazy for even looking at them. Its like it would ruin their day to smile back. One place really stands out is Washington D.C. I stayed their for two weeks one time and people seemed to be in their own world and did not acknowledge anyone else but the people they knew. It was irritating to me to see that people could be so rude in our nations capital.
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