Gender Roles in the South: Franklin vs King

Both writings paint clear picture of what southern life was like according to gender.  Tom Franklin's "Hunting Years" described what coming of age was like for a common male in Alabama.  According to Franklin, as one becomes a man, he must acquire toughness and skill in hunting.  Franklin's father found his son's playing with toys like G.I. Joes to be displeasing.  Franklin finds himself comparing his hobbies and interests to his brother, Jeff.  His brother was a better shot and a better hunter; so Franklin saw the need to try extra hard to wake up early and kill a deer for respect.  Franklin expressed fear in people thinking he was a "pussy" for not conforming.  I feel that pain is a very important part in becoming a southern man at the time.

Florence King's "Confessions of a Southern Lady" portrays the demanding lifestyle of being a refined woman in the south.  Women of high class were meant to be "sculpted by God" and were to act dainty and pretty.  Older women "reared" their daughters against their wills or interests.  Many women even acted sickly or mentally insane to attract attention.  I did not really understand what King meant when she wrote,"one of the joys of growing up Southern is listening to women argue about whether nervous breakdowns are more feminine than female trouble, or vice versa."  A huge part of the female identity was based upon this.  The writing also included the abuse of Preston, a homosexual, by his father and community.  There is hope for gender roles, however, because King's parents "invented themselves" despite their upbringings.