White Trash

Working on a "white trash" definition with Porter's "He" and O'Connor's "Revelation."

White trash is the label for people that are in some way "unrefined." I think if someone is considered "white trash," they are stereotypically considered dirty, not modest, unmannerly, loud, obnoxious, cheap, tacky, unagreeable with others, unrelenting, not very bright, lazy, don't adhere to the "rules of society" and are generally looked down on, and in a way let themselves be looked down upon. To be considered "white trash" I do not think one has to be all of these things all the time. Somebody could happen to wear something not very nice and be considered "white trash," or happen to be loud or unagreeable and be labeled. I think "white trash" also has something to do with region. For some reason I tend to think of "white trash" as being a term that came out of the South, or is about the South. I think this is juxtaposed in "Revelation" with the North (when the stylish lady tells Mrs. Turpin that Mary Grace goes to Wellesley college in the North).

In "Revelation," Mrs. Turpin sees people as white trash who have these characteristics. She describes the white trash woman as wearing a dress made out of flour sacks, chewing gum, loud, inserting herself into the conversation, and unagreeable to the sylish woman and Mrs. Turpin's conversation. Mrs. Turpin says that she would rather be African American (not her phrasing)and "nice, clean, respectable," (636) meaning that she views white trash people as the opposite of this and not able to help others (as Mrs. Turpin herself has so generously, haha), dirty, and people that are looked down upon.

We also see some of these "white trash" details in "He" when Mrs. Whipple is worried that the neighbors will perceive her and her family as cheap, simple-minded and unrefined.

I think perspective plays a large part in the definition for white trash, and in "Revelation." At the beginning of "Revelation," O'Connor describes all of the eyes in the room, then she describes the looks that the stylish lady and Mrs. Turpin exchange, then towards the middle she describes Mary Grace's (interesting name) eyes as rolling, then when she gets hit with the book her perspective is messed up, and finally at the end Mrs. Turpin's view on the world is changed again, both metaphorically and literally. The "white trash woman" was actually very thoughtful and (I thought) pretty intelligent and ahead of her time, but yet she was perceived as white trash through the eyes of Mrs. Turpin. And who knows what the white trash woman and Mary Grace were thinking of Mrs. Turpin!

He

What really captured my attention while I was reading this story was how the boy was referred to as "He" throughout. Usually, when I think of "He" with a capital at the beginning, I think of God and Jesus and how Christians show respect by capitalizing this pronoun. While reading this story, I kept trying to figure out why Porter would capitalize this word. One possibility I thought of is that He is like his name (or maybe is his real name?), so it became a capitalized proper noun. Another possibility I thought of is that he is so important in the Whipples' lives and to this story that he received special recognition through this pronoun. Another possibility, and the one that I find most intriguing, is the possibility that Porter was trying to draw a connection between the boy and religion. In a way, the boy is treated with respect (except when they take his blanket away from him), he gets fed first and best, he is expected to be forgiving (or forgetful) of everyone and everything, and he is also expected to be giving and help out (he is expected to help with the pig and bull), all the ways in which a God should be treated. Also, I have heard (was it in this class?) that in "the olden days," when this story took place, that people with mental disabilities were thought to be especially in touch with God and his message. I am wondering why Porter would be drawing (if she is in fact) connections between religion and this boy, especially when he gets taken away. Possibly as a social comment to show how religious people are? I don't have a clear answer for this, but I find it all very intriguing. What do you all think?

"He" Response 9/4/08

When I began reading Katherine Porter's "He," I noticed that the title refers to Mrs. Whipple's son, a nameless, "simpleminded" boy whose family and neighbors treat as if he is mentally handicapped. Unlike his sisters, Emly and Adna, "He" lacks a name, and therefore, seems less than a son, less than a human being. His mother claims to love him more than her entire family combined, but she treats him as an animal by comparing him to a monkey, taking away his blanket to warm other children, and feeding him his dinenr outside and seperate from the family. While the reader is saturated with Mrs. Whipple's impression that her son is mentally slow, an argument could be made that "He" is not really handicapped, but merely poor at communicating. Plenty of boys love to climb trees and have a low tolerance for pain or "don't really mind [if they get a sting]" from a bee. He comprehends what it means to go to another home and fetch a bull. He comprehends what it means to see and feel disgust for the innocent death of a piglet. Additionally, when his parents send him away to a hospital, he knows and understands what is happening because "he was scrubbing away big tears that rolled out of the corners of his eyes." Perhaps He just had trouble with communication, autism, or a speech impediment that prevents him from seeming normal. In "He" Mrs. Whipple defines her son as abnormal, and therefore condemns him just as she condemns the baby pig before it was ready and grown. The two events parrallel each other in that they represent the sacrfice and destruction of innocence for selfish causes. Mrs. Ripple kills the pig despite the best interests of her family so she can seem well-off when her brother comes to visit. Mrs. Ripple, similarly, rids her home of her son so the neighbors view her as a moral, loving mother, despite His best interests. She wasted two perfectly good lives by sacrificing them for reputation. Mrs. Whipple, could then metaphorically represents some kind of Pontious Pilate figure--Pontious Pilate, even though he knows Jesus is innocent of all crimes, allows Jesus to be crucified because the Jewish mob crowds demand it--- while "He" represents a Christ figure. In the Bible, a capitalized "He" always refers to God or to Jesus Christ. Perhaps, then, Porter, argues we are all Pontious Pilate in nature; we are all ready to sacrifice innocence, and we are all ready to condemn those around us--like Mrs. Whipple condemns her son to retardation-- according to our own standards in order to save our reputation and justify our wrongdoings.

Identity

The commonality between O'Connor's "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" and Porter's "He" was the presence of a mentally handicapped child. In both cases, the treatment of that child drives the narrative.
But what really stood out for me was the children's lack of identity. In the former, Lucynell has the same name as her mother rather than her own unique moniker, and in the latter the child isn't even referred to by name, only as "He." I wonder if by not truly naming their kids, it was easier for the parents to treat them as they did. With Lucynell, she was used as a bargaining chip. With the son in "He," the child was treated as livestock, making it all the more troubling when he showed true emotion at the end.

O'Connor/Porter so far

This posting is really to demonstrate to you how I'd like to see the posts on this blog. You will need to submit and comment on, at the very least, one author's works that we are reading during the week in question. You, of course, are welcome to post comments, questions, outside materials that you've found interesting, and, especially, something that you wish the class to focus on for class discussion.
My preference, then, is that you post your comments before class discussion, preferably by noon on the day of class. Your post-class discussions and insights are also welcome.
I do want the entire class to be reading and responding to postings on a weekly basis. The minimum requirement, then, for Phase I (ending Oct 17)of the course will be 7-9 postings/7-9 responses. That will give you a passing grade of "C" for this phase. A "B" for the phase will consist of 10-12 postings/1responses, and "A," 13 -15 postings/13-15 responses. You will receive your grade according to your number of postings unless a posting is considered sub-standard--I will let you know immediately if that is the case so that you can correct it.
As you post, please provide labels (I call them "tags" ) for the major ideas in your post in the window at the bottom of the window entitled "Labels for this post." Feel free to create your own labels. Please add your name as label as well. The labels for this post will be Kay Cook, Blog instructions.