P4+GL+The+Road+Southeastern+United+States

Sean Farrell Roberto Othon Angel Ramirez Jose Carrillo

The Southeastern United States have some of the most diverse culture in all of the United States. The south is known for its rich involvement in agriculture and its strong interest in food. Though history has proven that the south has had difficulties it is still shown as prime American culture. Without the southeastern states America would not have the strong identity that many know today. In one article about the south it explains,“ Southerners have a very well developed culture consisting of food, music, art, literature, dance and even manners and mores that differ from the rest of America”(KnowSouthernHistory). It maybe that the author of “The Road” wants the reader to see that the south may contain a deep tradition and culture that the author wants to share. But the author may also want to persuaded the reader against the culture of the southeast. Whatever it may be it seems that the southeast may be very important in the novel.
 * Aim: **
 * (1. What is the author’s purpose?) **

In the book “The Road” a father and a son are walking in a land formerly known as America. The whole world has seemed to gone to chaos. The culture of the south may be a remembrance and itself culture is gone in the book. The southeastern culture could have been a ideal for the father and son to get back to while the whole world is under a dark cloud. The author could be showing the culture is the life of society and without it life itself has no meaning. In one article about culture it states, “ Culture shapes the way people interact and understand the world around them”(VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity). In the book it seem that a great amount of culture has disappeared and author may be relating this to the modern day. Culture may define the reason for using the southeast in the book.




 * Historical: **

 Many Scientists state that the world would end in different years and time periods. Recently the world was stated to end on the date 12/21/2012. This might of influenced the author to base his book off of the apocalypse that would plague the earth one day. The book talks about two people (a father and son) who are living in the apocalypse. In one article from Fox News it states, “ Scientist have nailed down how and when the Earth will cease to exist. The sun will slowly expand into a red giant, pushing the Earth farther out into space, but not far enough. Our home planet will be nagged by the sun’s outer atmosphere, gradually pulling to its doom inside the fiery stellar furnace”(Fox News). In the book “The Road” the earth is completely burnt and there is large water supplies. These events may have given the apocalypse idea to the author. the Southeastern States of America play the role of an area that people are familiar with, and is also highly populated. There are many other reports of the apocalypse such as in 2000,1996, and many other occasions. One historical event could have influenced the book “The Road” is the disaster Hurricane Katrina. One article states, “ Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast  with devastating force at daybreak on Aug. 29, 2005, pummeling a region  that included the fabled city of New Orleans and heaping damage on neighboring Mississippi”(Laforet). The Quote taken from The New York Times shows how natural disasters could influence a writer to write about a world destroyed by disasters natural and man made.
 * (3. How does the historical events affect the written text?) **



1. The audience of Southeastern America is the rest of the country, and other races. All of these states most likely have traditions that have been passed around the world. Such as the different types of music they have made or where the music came from. According to New Encyclopedia, “The musical heritage of the South was developed by both whites and blacks, influencing each other directly and indirectl y”( The New Encyclopedia) This quote shows how the audience of this part of the country’s audience is the rest of the country, and how it brought others together. Saying this, without this part of the country, this country would be very different. The music that we listen to today would also be much different because much of the genres we listen today came from that part of the country. Music such as gospel music, country, rock and roll, and many more different types of other music came from these states.
 * Audience: **




 * Cultural Impl ications: **

(2. How do cultural events influence the relationship between the author and audience?)

The Southeastern is the most studied and written about region of the United States due to its unique history and the embracement of its completely different identity from the rest of the United States. Wikipedia states, “ the South developed its own unique customs, literature , cuisine  and musical styles (such as country music , bluegrass , rockabilly <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">, southern gospel <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">, jazz <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">, blues <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"> and rock and roll <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">)”(Wikipedia). The Southeastern part of America is a very dependent region on themselves. The culture of the Southeast region of America could be one of the many reasons why the Father and the son in the book “The Road” is still surviving in a post-apocalyptic world. An article about Southern Culture states, “It is surprising how much of what passes for "American" culture is actually Southern culture.” The author could have been raised and accustomed to the Southern Culture and in the book he may describe Southern Culture as an extremely important aspect that the audience needs to know and understand in order to comprehend most of the story plot, if not all of it (KnowSouthernHistory). In “The Road” the father and son might only remember the past because of what the characters remember of what used to be.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Culture." Culture. Virginia Commonwealth University, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Culture of the Southern United States." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. "Know Southern History :: Main." Know Southern History :: Main. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Laforet, Vincent. "Hurricane Katrina." The New York Times, 25 Sept. 2005. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. "Scientists Predict When World Will End." FoxNews.com, 26 Feb. 2008. Web. 10 Oct. 2013 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Southern United States." - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
 * Works Cited **