"My own father spent his life backing up, apologizing for the space he
took up in the world. He took the hillbilly stereotype to heart and all
of his life believed that he was backward and inferior..."(O'Brien, 2003).
Reaction:
I chose this quote because I believe that many people can identify with this man. We as West Virginians are constantly being put down for being hillbillies and our lack of education. However, I do not agree with him for being sorry for taking up space. Although we are criticized for who we are, we should be proud of where we come from and the hard work that our ancestors put into our land to make it thrive the way it has. I can remember being in Georgia at a farmer's market one summer. My dad was having a conversation with a man who asked where we were from. My dad told him West Virginia and the man replied "Oh you are from western Virginia?" If we are ignorant hillbillies, what do you call someone who doesn't even know the states of their own country?
Below is a video that I think sets the record straight about the stereotypes in our state.
Resources:
O'Brien, J. (May, 2003 10). Tall tales of appalachia. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm
kleecole45. (02, 15 20). West virginia - more than a stereotype . Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBdgxBHfO7s
No comments:
Post a Comment