There are many cultural differences between the new south and the old south. Clyde Egderton shows this perfectly in his novel Raney. In the novel the two main characters Charles Shepard, who is a product of new southern ideals, and Raney Shepard, his wife, a product of old southern ideals, show these differences throughout the novel in problems and arguments they have in their marriage. Charles and Raney are from two culturally different worlds. Charles is a college educated man who grew up in the large city of Atlanta. Both of his parents work. His father is a college professor, and his mother is a public school teacher. Raney is from the small town of Bethel. Her mother stays at home, and her dad owns a small country store. Most of Raney's ideals come from her family. Charles and Raney have their first disagreement over the issue of privacy. Raney is used to the closeness and openness of her family, whereas Charles is used to some level of privacy. The couple's cultural differences in relation to privacy are shown when Charles finds out that Raney's mother has been coming over to their house when they are not home. This bothers Charles to the extent that he asks Raney's mother to stop going into their house uninvited. Raney is appalled by Charles' request of her mother because she is used to the tightness of her family. Raney's family is very close she spends much time with her various aunts and uncles, and they are as much a part of her life as her own parents. Charles on the other hand is only close with his immediate family he is not really in touch with any of his extended relatives. Another difference between Charles and Raney that arises from their background is their feelings toward black people. Raney's attitudes towards black people arise from the environment in which she was raised. She herself does not appear to have any hatred of black people but is used to the old southern racist ideals of some of her family members. She is accustomed to hearing and using racial slurs in reference to black people. Charles, however, is offended by such slurs and is more accustomed to the new southern ideals of equality for black people. Charles is also offended on a deeper level also, due to the fact that a good friend of Charles' is black. This is shown when the family is at the beach and Aunt Naomi asks about the amount of black people on the beach. This offends Charles and he points out that they have as much right as anyone to be there. In another instance Charles also points out to Uncle Norris that he does not think that color matters. Charles and Raney also differ on the issue of
