Southern View of Religion in Lillian Smith’s Killers of the Dream

812 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Religion in american literature

Southern View of Religion in Lillian Smith’s Killers of the Dream

“Our first lesson about God made the deepest impression on us. We were told that He loved us, and then we were told that He would burn us in everlasting flames of hell if we displeased Him. We were told we should love Him for He gives us everything good that we have, and then we were told that we should fear Him because He has the power to do evil to us whenever He cares to. We learned from this part of the lesson another: that “people,” like God and parents, can love you and hate you at the same time; and though they may love you, if you displease them they may do you great injury; hence being loved by them does not give you protection from being harmed by them. We learned that They (parents) have a “right” to act in this way because God does, and that They in a sense represent God, in the family.”

-Lillian Smith, Killers of the Dream, p. 85

This short passage introduces the first of many paradoxes and contradictions that dominate the Southern way of life that Smith depicts in Killers of the Dream. It is fitting that Smith (and her contemporaries) should remember their first lesson about God as a terrifying self-contradiction, because this theme perpetuates itself in the Southern view of religion. It lays the framework for a theological doctrine that banishes a person to the flames of hell for taking a sip of alcohol, yet turns its head as human beings banish others to the ghettos and old slave quarters for having dark skin.

This passage also creates a parallel between the white people and their role as the “God” of Southern society. Smith states, “We were told we should love Him for He gives us everything good that we have, and then we were told that...

... middle of paper ...

...hild understands his relationship with God and his parents as such, it is fairly natural that he will grow up to perpetuate a facsimile of that relationship between himself and his own children and the black community, both environments in which he is “God.” Smith summarizes her description of her early “lesson” with “We learned that They (parents) have a “right” to act in this way because God does, and that They in a sense represent God, in the family.” This satirical presentation of the word “right” in parentheses both the parental and the societal desire for the white man to play God. However, Smith ironically suggest that God does not act this way, He is simply drawn into the trial as an unwitting testimonial justifying the behavior that society wants to believe is right, despite their gnawing knowledge that it is far from right, and far from human, or humane.

Show More
Related

  • An Argument Analysis of “The Three Souths” in the Views of Kimberly Glanding

    1513 Words  | 4 Pages

    Appealing to both people of the North and South, Reed accurately describes many traits and qualities of Southerners in his opening paragraph, “You’re in the American South now, a proud region with distinctive history and culture” (17). He effectively employs pathos throughout his introduction and captures the reader’s attention from the beginning by saying, “Where churches preach against, ‘cigarettes, whiskey, and wild, wild women’ and American football is a religion” (17), thus immediately appealing to peoples traditional values. While cigarettes, whiskey, and wild, wild women have values in the Southern culture, not all churches in th...

    Read More

  • Interpretation of "The Poisonwood Bible" in the Humanities

    2092 Words  | 5 Pages

    Since its 1998 publication, The Poisonwood Bible has primarily been seen as a statement against American exceptionalism. Upon analyzing the novel it is obvious that subjects such as imperialism, religion, the burden of guilt, and the use of, or lack thereof, voices, contribute to multiple points and themes found in the novel. In Susan Strehle’s current article on American exceptionalism explicitly relating to The Poisonwood Bible, she manipulates the topics and themes found in the novel to support her opinion. Unlike Strehle’s one-sided view, multiple themes and motifs in The Poisonwood Bible combine to form a complex and involved plot, further developed by the use of symbolism and both internal and external conflicts of the characters.

    Read More

  • Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Chapter 9 Analysis

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    The novel Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, published in 1845, provides Americans with a firsthand look into slavery prior to the Civil War. Douglass, born a slave early into the nineteenth century, encounters and survives the task of living as a slave. Within the ninth chapter of his life, an argument arises that claims Southern Christianity differs immensely from its Northern counterpart. A majority of Christians in non-slaveholding states at the time believed that Christian slaveholders were kinder after they converted, Douglass worked to invalidate this claim. In chapter nine, the ingenious use of dispassionate tone and allusion throughout the passages support the claim that a simple conversion to Christianity only gives justification to cruel southern slaveholders.

    Read More

  • Canada, A Rising Middle Power

    1642 Words  | 4 Pages

    International organizations such as NATO and the UN are essential not only for global peace, but also as a place where middle powers can exert their influence. It is understandable that since the inception of such organizations that many crises have been averted, resolved, or dealt with in some way thro...

    Read More

  • The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I’m never going to act like my mother!” These words are increasingly common and yet unavoidable. Why is it that as children, we are able to point out every flaw in our parents, but as we grow up, we recognize that we are repeating the same mistakes we observed? The answer is generational curses: un-cleansed iniquities that increase in strength from one generation to the next, affecting the members of that family and all who come into relationship with that family (Hickey 13). Marilyn Hickey, a Christian author, explains how this biblically rooted cycle is never ending when she says, “Each generation adds to the overall iniquity, further weakening the resistance of the next generation to sin” (21, 22). In other words, if your parents mess up you are now susceptible to making the same mistakes, and are most likely going to pass those mistakes to your children. In The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie shows the beauty of hope in the presence of a generational curse. Even though the elders are the ones who produce the curses, they are also the ones who attempt to break Junior from their bond forming mistakes. The curses that Arnold’s elders imprint on him lead him to break out of his cultural bonds and improve himself as a developing young man.

    Read More

  • Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Religious Irony Essay

    500 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass there is irony relating to religion. During Douglass’s life there was an abundant amount of religious irony dealing with the fact that slaves were seen as property, but yet Christianity was the main religion of the southern states, which Christians believe in showing love through Christ to everyone. Slaves were rarely shown love from their masters.

    Read More

  • A Literary Analysis Of 'A Story' By Li-Young Lee

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    The father sees himself asking if his child is a “god…that [the father] sites mute before [him,” and then asking if he himself is “a god in that [he] should never disappoint?” The father first describes his child as a god because he feels that his son is a being that is untouchable, and it to be able to fully connect with him is something the father does not comprehend. The father then describes himself as a god, asking if he failed to be like a god in his child’s eyes and be perfect in every way. Another metaphor in the poem are the books. The father uses books to connect with his son, much like how Christians use the Bible, a book, to connect with their God. The Bible is something that can have a positive influence on the lives of Christians and support them through their lives all through the use of words. This is similar to the books the father uses. The father does not know how to be a positive influence on his son, so he uses books as a medium to communicate with his son due to the fact that he cannot think of what to say himself. By using these metaphors, the father is comparing his and his child’s relationship to one of a mortal and a god: a relationship that is not familial love, but rather one of a love or worship for a divine being. The father feels that he cannot have a good relationship with his son because his child is something that he cannot understand no matter how hard he tries. He is also worried that he will never live up to his son’s expectations and will fail to support

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Abolishing Slavery

    336 Words  | 1 Pages

    Douglass moves to attack the Christian beliefs of the American people, showing the great discrepancies between the ideals held in the Christian faith and the ideals held by slaveowners. Christians avoidance of abolishing slavery, yet worshipping a loving and peaceful God, may be the worse crime of them all. Douglass explains the hypocrisy of the American people by choosing to continue slavery while claiming the benevolent principles embedded in the Bible. At the moment he gives this speech, “they are thanking God for the enjoyment of civil and religious liberty, yet they are utterly silent in respect to a law which robs religion of its chief significance” (Douglass 12). The American people acknowledge and thank God for their freedoms, yet purposefully

    Read More

  • Cold War and Its Effects

    1649 Words  | 4 Pages

    The end of the cold war signified a new era of history that has changed the entire world. The face of Europe and Asia has changed dramatically. Vast changes have been felt socially, politically, and especially economically. Also the effect the cold war had on foreign policy was paramount. The effect of these changes is not only felt across the ocean but can be felt here in America. The goal of this paper is to define what the cold war specifically was, and reflect upon the various choices throughout the world as a result of the end of the cold war.

    Read More

  • To Breast Feed or Not to Breastfeed

    3262 Words  | 7 Pages

    Women do not breastfeed long enough. Although healthcare workers try to promote the breast method, many women do not continue with it. Breastfeeding does come with challenges; however, the phrase “breast is best” is the role of the nurse in conjunction with education. A mother a...

    Read More

  • American Hegemony in the Twenty-First Century: Consensus and Legitimacy

    6585 Words  | 14 Pages

    War.” Unipolar Politics: Realism and State Strategies after the Cold War. Eds. Ethan B. Kapstein and Michael Mastanduno. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. 1-27.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart: Eurocentrism

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    ..., was his replacement. Mr. Smith was racist and believed strongly in Eurocentricism. He didn’t want to be in the position he was in, because he didn’t want to live and commune with the Africans. He thought himself superior to them, and was worried about the converts to Christianity because they were ignorant to God’s word.

    Read More

  • Eulogy for Son

    1205 Words  | 3 Pages

    We as parents have become older, and we lived our lives. It is now our Children’s turn to live theirs and hope, as parents, we did most of what we had to do as God had wished us.

    Read More

  • Moral Development Theory

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Theory of moral development was founded by the psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg. He argued that starting from infancy extending throughout adulthood, we develop a moral compass that guides us through our life. Each moral judgment can be categorized into three levels, pre-conventional morality, conventional morality, and post-conventional morality, with each level encompassing two stages. As we grow older and gain new experiences, we begin to view the world differently and the moral reasoning for our choices evolves.

    Read More

  • Lawrence Kohlberg's Moral Development Theory

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lawrence Kohlberg served as a professor at Harvard University for many years but rose to fame for his work there starting from the early 1970s. He is mostly known for his moral development theory that he based on the works of philosopher John Dewey and psychologist Jean Piaget. According to him, humans’ progress in their moral reasoning occurs in a series of stages. He formulated three levels of moral reasoning, which he further divided into 6 stages. In the obedience and punishment stage of the pre-conventional level, individuals’ behavior complies with norms that are socially acceptable as told by some authority, for instance, teacher or parent. Obedience is usually informed by the application or threat or punishment (Barger, 2000). The second

    Read More

More about Southern View of Religion in Lillian Smith’s Killers of the Dream

Open Document