After a brief recession following World War I the United States experienced a technological revolution leading to an economic boom and into an age of consumerism. This “consumer society ... did not respect inherited values or the social status quo” (Parrish x), quite to the distress of some Southern intellectuals who were “opposed to industrialism, and wanting a much simpler economy to live by ("Introduction: A Statement of Principles" xliii). These intellectuals were the Southern Agrarians, a group of twelve writers, all of whom were “well acquainted with one another” (xli), and connected to Vanderbilt University. In their manifesto I’ll Take My Stand published in 1930 they argued against industrialism and for a regress to a more conservative life, a life Southerners had lived not that long ago.
Although they published their book at the onset of the Great Depression, the roots of their movement have to be located some years earlier, as the present paper will suggest. After a brief overview of the of the Southern Renascence, the “attempt to come to terms not only with the inherited values of the Southern tradition but also a certain way of perceiving and dealing with the past” (King 7), the beginnings of this literary movement will be analyzed. In this regard, special attention is paid to Henry Louis Mencken, a journalist who, with his outspoken critique of the Southern Way of Life, triggered literary responses from the above-mentioned group.
It will further be argued, that the Southern Agrarians have their origins in the Fugitives, a group of sixteen poets who started meeting in 1915 to discuss their literary work among each other. While four of their members would also be part of the Agrarians, it will be shown that there are significant differences between the two groups.
A discussion of I’ll Take My Stand constitutes the second part of this essay. After having a look at the writers’ statement of principles, three specific qualities of their work will be analyzed, with the third giving an impetus for a rather controversial analysis of the Agrarians’ standpoint.
Finally, the last part of this work will treat once again Mencken as the first and foremost critic of the Agrarians. In this final part, not only his review of the book will be looked at, but also an essay published five years after the manifesto.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Southern Renascence
1.1. The Beginnings
1.1.1. The Sahara of the Bozart
1.1.2. The Fugitives
1.2 The Agrarians
2. I'll Take My Stand
2.1. A Statement of Principles
2.1.1. A Certain Terrain
2.1.2. A Certain History
2.1.3. A Certain Inherited Way of Living
2.2. Aftermath
Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the intellectual and literary origins of the Southern Renascence, focusing specifically on the shift from the literary group known as the Fugitives to the formation of the Southern Agrarians. It explores how these groups responded to the rapid industrialization and consumerism of the 1920s in the United States, ultimately analyzing their manifesto, "I'll Take My Stand," to understand their critique of modern society and their defense of traditional Southern values.
- The historical and social context of the post-WWI Southern United States.
- The role of H.L. Mencken as a catalyst for Southern literary development.
- Distinctions between the Fugitive poets and the Southern Agrarians.
- Critical analysis of the manifesto "I'll Take My Stand" and its core principles.
- Evaluation of contemporary and retrospective criticism regarding the Agrarian movement.
Excerpt from the Book
1. The Southern Renascence
The great Civil War left the South in a terrible shape. While “during the War the North enjoyed a boom” (Warren 51), Southern soldiers returning home, if there was any to return to, found themselves with little prospect. Many farms and cities were destroyed and there was no money to rebuild them. Confederate bonds, sold to help finance the war, were now worthless and many people did not have any other savings. With the abolition of slavery the antebellum labor system had to be restructured, as plantations needed slaves to be functioning; slaves that now were free and had to find their place in the new nation.
It is this era that gave birth to the new literary movement now known as the Southern Renascence. From the 1920s onward the South hosted significant literary groups such as the Fugitives or the Agrarians. Questions concerning the reasons why an economically unstable and intellectually poor region such as the postbellum South would develop such a movement are far from being resolved (T. D. Young 261-62). Nonetheless, there have been intents made to explain this phenomenon. While there is a broad consensus that the Southern Renascence had its beginnings in the 1920s (e.g. Vann Woodward; T. D. Young), Manning argues that this only holds true for works written by Southern men “[b]ut some Southerners, Southern women in particular, began to awake earlier” (39). Kate Chopin was “[a]head of her time” (Rowe 232) and Ellen Glasgow was “simply, the first really modern novelist” (Rubin 4).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the historical context of post-WWI America and introduces the Southern Agrarians as a group of intellectuals opposing rampant industrialization.
1. The Southern Renascence: Analyzes the socioeconomic conditions following the Civil War and the emergence of literary movements, distinguishing between the Fugitives and the Agrarians.
1.1. The Beginnings: Explores the initial lack of literary recognition for the South and the crucial role of H.L. Mencken’s critiques.
1.1.1. The Sahara of the Bozart: Details H.L. Mencken’s harsh critique of Southern culture, which unintentionally spurred a defensive literary response.
1.1.2. The Fugitives: Examines the origins of the Fugitive poets in 1915 and their shift toward aesthetics before evolving into the Agrarian movement.
1.2 The Agrarians: Discusses the transition of Fugitive members into the Agrarian movement and their involvement in political and historical debates, such as the Scopes Trial.
2. I'll Take My Stand: Focuses on the manifesto "I'll Take My Stand" and the arguments presented against the industrial gospel of the North.
2.1. A Statement of Principles: Outlines the Agrarians' desire to return to Southern roots and their critique of the exploitative nature of industrial labor.
2.1.1. A Certain Terrain: Explores the pastoral longing for a non-materialistic life as presented in the manifesto.
2.1.2. A Certain History: Investigates how the Agrarians used the Southern past to define their identity, often bordering on self-delusion regarding the reality of slavery.
2.1.3. A Certain Inherited Way of Living: Examines the Agrarians' resistance to 1920s consumer culture and their preference for traditional communal life.
2.2. Aftermath: Discusses H.L. Mencken’s negative review of the manifesto and his continued skepticism regarding a return to an agrarian society.
Conclusion: Summarizes the legacy of the Southern Renascence and evaluates the Agrarians' ideological struggle against modernization.
Keywords
Southern Renascence, Southern Agrarians, The Fugitives, I'll Take My Stand, H.L. Mencken, Industrialization, Pastoralism, American South, Postbellum, Consumerism, Scopes Trial, Tradition, Agrarianism, Modernity, Literature
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the intellectual and literary development of the Southern Renascence, specifically focusing on the shift from the Fugitive poets to the Southern Agrarians and their critique of modern American industrial society.
What are the central thematic fields addressed in this work?
Key themes include the impact of industrialization on Southern tradition, the role of literature in defining regional identity, the critique of consumer culture, and the historical tension between the North and the South.
What is the central research question or goal?
The goal is to analyze how the Southern Agrarians formulated their manifesto "I'll Take My Stand" as a counter-movement to the economic and social changes of the 1920s and to assess the viability of their proposed return to traditional values.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper uses historical and literary analysis, incorporating primary sources like the "I'll Take My Stand" manifesto alongside secondary academic criticism and historical data from the 1920s.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the socio-economic aftermath of the Civil War, the critical influence of H.L. Mencken, the evolution of the Fugitive poets into the Agrarians, and a detailed thematic analysis of the Agrarian manifesto.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
The study is best characterized by terms such as Southern Renascence, Southern Agrarians, I'll Take My Stand, industrialization, and pastoralism.
How did H.L. Mencken influence the literary movement?
Mencken acted as a catalyst; his aggressive critiques of the South as a "Sahara of the Bozart" provoked Southern intellectuals to respond, effectively pushing them to form literary groups to defend and redefine Southern culture.
What distinguishes the Fugitives from the Southern Agrarians?
While some members overlapped, the Fugitives were primarily a group of poets focused on aesthetic quality, whereas the Agrarians were a broader group of writers and economists who used their work to engage in political and social advocacy for a traditional Southern lifestyle.
How did the Agrarians justify their historical view of the South?
They often relied on idealized conceptions of a "pastoral" Southern past, occasionally engaging in historical self-delusion, particularly concerning their downplaying of the historical reality and impact of slavery.
How did the contemporary critics view the Agrarian manifesto?
Critics like H.L. Mencken strongly dismissed the manifesto, viewing the Agrarians' desire to return to a pre-industrial "Jeffersonian" society as unrealistic and economically impractical in the face of modern progress.
- Quote paper
- Nico Hübner (Author), 2013, I'll Take My Stand. The Southern Renascence Revisited, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/230476
