Southern Graciousness

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In Judge Paul Heath Till’s “Morals, Manners, Customs, and Public Perceptions,” Judge Heath’s explanations of Southern civility is similar to that of Harper Lee’s in To Kill A Mockingbird. Both of these works exhibit the meaning of courtesy in the South; Lee does this by the characterization of each character, while Judge Heath shows this through his past experiences. While Heath and Lee’s perceptions on the topic of Southern graciousness are portrayed in different ways, they yield the same message; Southerners value manners, and also respect. Judge Till takes pride in the way Southerners observe manners; Harper Lee conveys this message through the character of Calpurnia. Furthermore, Till explains the moral responsibility of Southern men, which Lee also represents …show more content…
He states that, in the South, manners are fully expected. “The conduct of which [Southerners] speak... must be taught by instruction and example of the one who does the instructing,” (Till). Heath goes on to state, “such conduct [manners] were the norm, not the exception.” These statements show Judge Paul believes that manners are taught by authority figures who also display those manners, and that those manners are fully expected when living in the South. Harper Lee also signifies this message through Scout at the dinner table. “Walter poured syrup on his vegetables and meat with a generous hand. He would probably have poured it into his milk glass had I not asked what the sam hill he was doing,” (Lee 24). This prompts Calpurnia to firmly scold her. “‘There’s some folks who don’t eat like us… but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table...’” (Lee 24). Through this episode with Scout and Calpurnia, Harper Lee demonstrates how manners are practiced in the South; through example. Both Lee and Heath indicate that manners must be instructed by authority figures, such as elders, and in Scout’s case,
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