Southern belle
The Southern belle (derived from the French word belle, 'beautiful') is a stock character representing a young woman of the American Deep South's upper socioeconomic class.
Origin
The image of the Southern belle developed in the South during the Antebellum Period. It was based on the young, unmarried woman in the plantation-owning upper class of Southern society.[1]
Characteristics
The image of a Southern belle is often characterized by antebellum fashion elements, such as a hoop skirt, a corset, pantalettes, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and gloves. As signs of tanning were considered working-class and unfashionable during this era, parasols and fans are also often represented.[1]
Southern belles were expected to marry respectable young men, and become ladies of society dedicated to the family and community.[1]The "Southern belle" archetype is characterized by Southern hospitality, a cultivation of beauty, and a flirtatious yet chaste demeanor.[2]
For example, Sallie Ward, who was born into the Southern aristocracy of Kentucky in the Antebellum South, was called a "Southern belle."[3]
In popular culture
During the early 20th century, the release of the film Gone with the Wind popularized the image of the Southern belle.
Southern belles have also been featured in A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, Jezebel, Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias, and Sweet Home Alabama.
Dick Pope, Sr., famed promoter of Florida tourism, played an important role in popularizing the archetypal image.[4] Hostesses at his famed Cypress Gardens were portrayed as Southern belles in promotional materials for the theme park.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 "History Engine: Tools for Collaborative Education and Research | Episodes". Historyengine.richmond.edu. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
- ↑ "Anatomy of a Southern Belle | Deep South Magazine – Southern Food, Travel & Lit". Deepsouthmag.com. June 2, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
- ↑ Clark, Thomas D. (2015). The Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. pp. 238–255.
- ↑ APPublished: January 30, 1988 (January 30, 1988). "Richard Downing Pope, 87, Dies; Promoter of Florida and Tourism - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
- ↑ The Lakeland Ledger, January 29, 1988. Vol. 82 No.99 Pg11A
See also
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Southern belles. |
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Look up southern belle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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