A History of Social Class in America

 

"If this book accomplishes anything it will be to have exposed a number of myths about the American dream, to have disabused readers of the notion that upward mobility is a function of the founders' ingenious plan, or that Jacksonian democracy was liberating, or that the Confederacy was about states' rights rather than preserving class and racial distinctions."

-Nancy Isenberg,  White Trash. The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America.

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A few weeks ago my friend recommended that I read this book about social classes in America. She somehow knew that I would probably enjoy it because we've known each other for more than forty years. Even though we haven't lived in the same state for more than thirty of those years, we keep in touch and always manage to talk about a good book. I think my friend knows that I don't like beach reading such as romances, mysteries, comic books, or a book that is just too fluffy for me. I'm not opposed to these, I just don't enjoy them. More than anything, I enjoy books abut history or epic-style dramatic novels that pull me in such as Cutting for Stone. And I love to read historical novels. What do you like to read?

That being said, I did finish the book before I had to renew it at the library, and I'm pleasantly surprised. The book has over 100 pages of notes in the back, and since I didn't feel that I needed to read all of those, I stopped at the end of the book. You can tell that Isenberg did a ton of research for this book. She had to do it in order to honestly study the social trends of our country, dating from the time of the pilgrims until today. She discusses the slang terms that we have used in our country to refer to various groups of people, titles such as "white trash," "trailer trash," "squatters," "crackers," "half-breeds," "clay-eaters," "mudsills," "thoroughbreds," "scalawags," and of course, "rednecks." She devotes a lot of time to discussing the views of class of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and some of our more current political leaders. She discusses celebrities and politicians such as Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Jimmy & Billy Carter, the Duck Dynasty family, Sarah Palin, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, and many others. She shares what people in the U.S. said and wrote about these people, many of whom rose from homes of immense poverty to become very wealthy and famous. There is also another side of this, of course, and this is when celebrities and others claim to come from humble roots when they actually came from a fairly affluent family. But don't we all like to read that a celebrity or politician worked very, very hard to get where he or she is today? Everyone likes a story about a hardworking person who "made it" by struggling, not merely be receiving the silver spoon. But as always, we must search for the facts before we believe anything. In general, Americans like to believe that this is the best place in the world to live because if we are born into a poor, uneducated family we can still climb up the ladder to become middle-class people. It is possible, of course, as many people throughout history have proven, but to do so honestly and authentically is still challenging. This is a very enlightening book that sheds light on the cultural phenomena that have shaped our country, so if you've ever wondered why we are the way we are as a nation, you will get a lot out of White Trash. The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg. The author is currently a professor of American History at L.S.U. 

There are so many other good non-fiction books that I've come across and read over the years. As you probably remember, I've kept a card file on all of the books that I've read in the past 33 years so bringing titles to mind is pretty easy. Have you ever heard of My Life in Orange by Tim Guest? I found this book on the shelf while browsing in a store one day, and it was very "interesting." This book is about someone who grew up in a cult that required everyone to wear orange clothing at all times. Other memoirs that I've enjoyed are My Life in France by Julia Child, Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams, Tramp for the Lord by Corrie ten Boom, A Woman in Berlin by "Anonymous," and We'll Always Have Paris by Jennifer Coburn (one of my readers). Some of the biographies that I've enjoyed are The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper, and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I can't help but wonder what other stories still need to be written. The world is full of amazing people who have had extraordinary experiences that need to be told. I've read many other non-fiction ooks that  have been eye-opening and inspiring, and I'll share more of these titles in the future. As I've said before, there is so much to share and so little time!

So...how does your basketball bracket look? I did have Gonzaga and North Carolina going far in the NCAA tournament, but I didn't have them playing each other for the championship. But I'll watch the game along with millions of other people and I'll enjoy my last one fix of basketball. I'm very sorry to see the season end. And WHY oh WHY doesn't the media do more with the women's tournament?? As a former player myself, I do follow women's basketball. After all these years of struggle, women's sports still aren't where they should be. I go to all of the Duke women's games because they play just a few minutes from our house, but the crowds are tiny most of the time. I don't understand it. The Duke women have gone to the NCAA tournament every year in the past 20 years that I've watched them except for last year, so why don't more people support them? And I promise you, it won't cost NEARLY what it costs to get in to the men's games.

I'm now going to return my library book and pick up another one. Time is a wastin'.

-Melissa Hill
Book Blogger
www.onegoodbookblog.blogspot.com 

 

This is me yesterday as I headed to the Al Buehler Trail at Duke. I found this great hat at Costco, the perfect thing for sun protection and a little style!