Feeder 3.1

Literary Analysis: Dying for Dixie and Cats of the Confederacy

The South is often portrayed as an area that still possesses old prejudices and perspectives that cause significant struggles between the races. Similarly, in his novel, Confederates in the Attic, Tony Horwitz paints a vivid picture of the South that experiences the stereotypical racial divide that has plagued the region for centuries. Throughout his journey through the South, Horwitz encounters numerous scenarios that detail the violent and ongoing conflict between the white and black race, characteristic of the common perception of the South in the eyes of society.
Horwitz’s trip to Salisbury, NC, as described in the chapter “Cats of the Confederacy”, reveals the hidden, but existent prejudice that is shared between the races. Furthermore, Horwitz’s use of situational irony makes stronger the argument that there is still a prevalent racial barrier. James Conner, the black male that Horwitz first encounters, describes how he was surprised that he was treated like a regular human being when he moved to Salisbury and was expecting that “…it would be Deliverance.” Immediately, the author pulls the audience into believing that maybe the South had changed over the course of history and no longer held any major prejudices between the races. Furthermore, when the author attends the meetings of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) and the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), it is perceived and plainly stated that Southern pride, mainly pride in being a Confederate, is not about disliking those of a different race, but is about taking pride in a rich, family lineage in which common ancestors where soldiers of the Confederate Army. For a few seconds, Horwitz allows the audience to view the South in a different light, as Connor does not experience any sort of racial prejudice because he is a black man and the Confederate groups are portrayed as non-prejudiced. However, in a brilliant move, Horwitz’s situational irony takes control of the narrative, as he unveils the true feelings and views of the Confederate groups and Connor. When Connor is asked by the author to visit the UDC meeting with him, Connor blatantly refuses the offer, because he believes that “…folks around here think it’s Scarlett and Mammy days,” referring to the prejudice that still exists in the South. Also, as Horwitz begins to become familiar with the members of the UDC and SCV, he quickly discovers that they hold prejudices against blacks. The members use derogatory terms to refer to blacks and believe that they are worthless in society. By his use of irony, Horwitz lets the audience anticipate that the South no longer holds prejudice, but then contrasts the anticipation with a continuous stream of examples of prejudice by both the black and white community. At the end of his stay in North Carolina, Horwitz seems to have re-lived the past, as both black and white races are pitted against each other, claiming that the other race is altogether prejudice, as in the case of James Connor, or completely inferior, shown by the UDC and the SCV.
Another exert from Horwitz’s novel, “Dying for Dixie”, depicts more extreme examples of racial prejudices that are stereotypical descriptions of the South. The author dives straight into giving examples of the racial prejudice of many whites. In Redbone’s Saloon, racism is seen at its worst, as many customers wore t-shirts with obscene racial slurs for blacks and posters that poked fun at black culture. Further, the people in the car constantly speak in a derogatory manner of blacks and one customer almost becomes violent with Horwitz when he believes that Horwitz isn’t one of the white men who stand up for white rights. Instantly, Horwitz writes of the worse condition of racial prejudice, set in the state of Tennessee. On top of the small bit of violence seen at the bar, Horwitz goes on to talk about the murder of a white male by a black male. The conflict that surrounds the shooting case resembles the racial struggle that has endured over the years. As Horwitz states, “I hadn’t realized the nineteenth-century conflict I’d set out to explore was still a shooting war.” After the shooting of Michael Westerman by Freddie Morrow, the community becomes a madhouse that creates a serious racial divide. At the high schools, both white and black students start to carry around weapons to protect against racial violence. In essence, “a low-grade guerrilla war brewed between some blacks and whites.” Because of the murder of Westerman, the white community became disrespectful and intolerant of blacks and blamed the murder of Westerman solely on Morrow, explaining that it was impossible that Westerman could have uttered any sort of racial slur that would’ve pushed Morrow over the edge, provoking violence. The whites glorify Westerman’s death as dying for a great cause, a cause that Horwitz does not understand. In contrast, the black community’s reaction to the murder is completely opposite. They do not believe that it was just the white male who started the incident, but are open to think that it was caused by both men. The blacks do not condone the actions of Morrow, but are supportive and do not take the incident as far as the white community. In fact, Morrow is sorry for his actions and regrets what he had done. The white and black community react differently to the murder of Westerman, and the death brings the struggle between the races into the light, as one can see that one race solely blames the other for the death and the other race at least tries to resolve the situation. The incident in Redbone’s Saloon and the Westerman death accurately reflects the common stereotype of the South, as both instances resemble the struggle between the white and black race.