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May Be Xeroxed CENTRE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND STUDIES TOTAL OF 10 PAGES ONLY MAY BE XEROXED (Without Author's Permission) National Library Bibliotheque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisisitons et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 0-612-84063-8 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 0-612-84063-8 The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant a Ia National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, preter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. Ia forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve Ia propriete du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni Ia these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes reproduced without the author's ou aturement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Canada FOLKLORE OF SOUTHERN LITERATURE AS FOLKLORISTIC PROCESS: PORTRAYALS OF THE CANE RIVER REGION IN THE SHORT STORIES OF LOUISIANA'S ADA JACK CARVER by Martha Rachel Gholson A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Department ofFolldore Memorial University ofNewfoundland December 2001 St. John's Newfoundland Summary This dissertation examines the short stories of north western Louisiana writer Ada Jack Carver (1880-1972), focussing on her portrayal of Louisiana's regional ethnicities. W11ile situating Carver's writing within historical and cultural contexts, the discussion also describes the Melrose plantation literary group, examining this group in terms of theories concerning the uses of folklore in literature and theories that defme folkgroups in occupational environments. The consideration of diverse classifications leads to a discussion ofthe links between theory conceming regional literature, folklore as process, and folklore in literature through the example of Carver's writing and association with the Melrose plantation literary group. How elements of the folklore corpus interact with literary manifestations of elite culture creating and propagating regional stereotypes, which become part and parcel of both regional concepts of ethnicity and the tourism trade in the 1990s, is the central focus of this dissertation. 11 Acknowledgements This dissertation is the direct result of familial support which introduced the possibilities that derive from ingraining an interest in other cultures and other lands into my experience. For a love of experientialleaming, a value of persistence, and enduring support of my pursuit, I am particularly indebted to my parents and uncle. I have been fortunate enough to receive the support of individuals from many nations during this endeavour. Foremost of this company are Dr. Pat Byrne, Dr. Martin Lovelace, Dr. Neil Rosenberg, Dr. Jan Rosenberg, Dr. Rob Scuka, Bruce Mason and Anne Kilcullen without whose patient support, friendship, listening, or persistent reading, this dissertation would never have been completed. Also supportive beyond the call, Ms. Mary Linn Wemet ofNorthwestem State University's Cammie G. Henry Research Centre whose lrnowledge and friendliness were invaluable, and Mr. Joe Little whose freely given smiles and daily hellos enheartened a northern stranger during a time of great solitude and frustrating research. Many people provided the inspirational and supp011ive sparks of friendship during the isolating phases of research and writing. For long chats, theoretical and otherwise, and other support over the years special thanks go to Marjorie Biondo, Keith Coles, Dr. Eileen Condon, Elizabeth Coviello, Theresa Ferreira, Les and Kelly Gholson, Dr. Melissa Ladenheim, Dr. Jamie Morreira, Katherine and Dr. Ranald Thurgood, and the virtual 111 ranks composed of Dr. Tony Fonseca, Dr. Lisa Nunn, Dr. Lucy Allen, David Gurley, and others' whose kindness and support are beyond enumeration. Support of this magnitude is no indication of the aptitude or exactness of the work herein which is my sole responsibility. IV Table of Contents Introduction ........... .. ... .. .. .. .... ... ... .. ... 1 0.1 Carver's Social and Philosophical Contexts ... ..... ... .. 5 Chapter One The Research Process: Sources, Methods, and Problems .. ... ... .. .. .... .... ... 15 1.1 Sources and Methods ................... .. ... ... 16 1.2 Entering Carver's Red River Region .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 22 1.3 Melrose as the Twentieth-Century Ends . .. .... ...... .... 31 1.4 Research Problems . .. .. .... ..... ... .... ... .. .. 36 1.4.1 The Southern Region: Cultural Preconceptions ...... .. .. .. 37 1.4.2 Conceptualizing a Region, a Traditional South . ..... .. ... .. 50 1.4.3 Southern Boundaries: Economics, Politics and Geography .... .. .. .. ... ..... .. 53 1.5 Cane River: A Traditional Sub-Region .... ........... .... 60 1.6 Yucca Plantation and the Cane River's Civil War Period . ... 68 1.7 Summary . .... .. ....... ...... .............. .. .. 71 Chapter Two Fictional Places and Regional Study ..... ... .. .. ........ .. .. ... .. 73 2.1 Literature and Tradition . ................... ........ 75 v 2.2 Representations ofPlace . ... ... ... .. ........ .. .. .. 77 2.3 Authenticity and Literate Cultural Depictions .. .. ... .. .. 80 2.4 Impacts of the Cane River Region ... ... .. ... ... .. .. 85 2.5 Literary Impact on the Cane River Region: The Authorial Role . ... .. ... ... .. .. .. ... .. ... 87 2.6 Summary: When Literature is Merely Literature .. .. .. ..... 89 Chapter Three Ada Jack Carver's Short Stories .... .. .. .. ..... .. .. ... .... .. .. .. 96 3.1 1916- 1922 .. ... - . - . - . .. - . 112 3.2 1923-1929 ......... ... ... ... ... .. .... 126 3.2.1 Gender Relations .......... ................ .. .. .. 137 3.3 1929-1 949 ....... - . - . - ............... - . .. .. - ... .. 140 3.4 Summary . 146 Chapter Four Ada Jack Carver (Snell) and Melrose Plantation .. .. .. ... ..... ... 150 4.1 Carver's Introduction to Melrose ..... .. .. ... ....... .. 153 4.2 Melrose Plantation and the Henry Family ................. 154 4.3 Summary .. .... ......... ... .. .. .... ....... .. ... 169 Chapter Five The Melrose Friends . .... .. .. .. .. .. .. ......... .. 171 5.1 Mrs. Henry . ......... .. ..... .. .... .. 172 5.2 Caroline Dormon ....... ..... ... .. .. ...... 173 Vl 5.3 Lyle Saxon . ... .... .. .... ..... ... ... .. ... .. .. 181 5.4 Folklore Knowledge: the Melrose Preservationists ... .. ... 189 5.5 The Melrose Writers: 1923- 1930 .. .. .. .... 191 5.6 The Melrose Group's Aesthetic: Framing the Melrose Writers ... .. ..... .. .. .... 192 Chapter Six Southern Letters and American Folklore ... ..... .. .... .. ... ..... 203 6.1 American Literature in the South .. ....... .... ......... 204 6.2 American Folklore in the Early 1900s ......... .. .... .. 207 6.3 Mentoring & Louisiana's Local Colour Movement: The Melrose Writers and Folk Groups . .... ...... ..... 214 6.3 .1 The Research Process . ........ 217 6.3.2 The Editorial Process .. .. .. .. ........ ...... .. 223 6.4 Carver, Feminist Local Colorist: Encoding the Female Mind of the South . ... ..... ........ 226 6.5 Carver's Conceptual South . ...... .. .... ........ .. 232 6.6 Carver's African-American Female South . .. ... .. ... ...· . 251 6.7 The South: Carver's Perspective . .... .................. 263 6.8 Summary . .. .. .. .. ..... ... ... ... 269 Chapter Seven Artistic Preservation . ..... ... .. ..... .. ..... .... 272 7.1 Francois Mignon . .. .... .. ...... ... .. ...... 273 7.2 The Francois Mignon Years, 1939-1970: Vll Adapting a Shared Aesthetic ... .. .. ..... .. ...... 287 7.3 Creating A Cultural Icon: Melrose Plantation and the Natchitoches Preservation Society ..291 7.4 Summary: Carver's and Mignon's Melrose . .. .. .. .. 292 Conclusion .. .. .... ... ... .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .... 295 Bibliography ....... .. ..... ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ....... ...... .. 316 Primary Resources . ...... .. 31 7 Secondary Resources . ... .. .... .. .... ... ..... .... 319 Vlll List of Tables Table 1. Ada Jack Carver's Published Short Stories .. ... .. ..... .. 102 Table 2. Ada Jack Carver's Unpublished and Planned Fiction . ..... 123 lX List of Figures Figure 1. The Red River at Natchitoches .. ..... ... .. .. .. .... .. .. 25 Figure 2. The Region's Cane River Trail . ... .. .. ... .. .. .. 26 Figure 3. St. Augustine Church from the Road at Melrose . .... .. 27 Figure 4. St. Augustine Church and Graveyard ... .... .. ..... .. .. 28 Figure 5. The Confederate and Border States .. ..... .. .. .. ... 55 Figure 6. A Simple Raised Louisiana Cottage. Drawing of the Badin-Rocque House in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Artist, Amy Bennet . .... ... .. ......... .... 67 Figure 7. Melrose After Mrs. Hemy's Additions. Artist, Amy Bennet. ....... ...... .... ... ... 160 Figure 8. Melrose Plantation Layout 1995 ... ..... .. ... .. .. .. 165 X List of Appendices Appendix I: Folklore Holdings of the Melrose Libraries .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 339 10.1 Cammie G. Hemy's Melrose Library: Folklore Holdings ..... ............ ... .. .. .. .. .. 343 10.2 The Lyle Saxon Library: Folklore Holdings .. ... .. ... .. ·.. ... 366 Appendix II: "The Stranger
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