Counterfeit Gentlemen [electronic resource] : Manhood and Humor in the Old South /
Mayfield, John,1945-
Gainesville : University Press of Florida,
c2009.
"Counterfeit Gentlemen is a stunning reappraisal of white Southern manhood and identity that uses humor and humorists to carry the reader into the very heart of antebellum culture." "What did it mean to be a white man in the antebellum South? And how can we answer this question from the perspective of the early twenty-first century? John Mayfield does so by revealing how early nineteenth-century Southern humorists addressed the anxieties felt by men seeking to chart a new path between the old honor culture and the new market culture. Lacking the constraints imposed by journalism or proper literature, these writers created fictional worlds where manhood and identity could be tested and explored." "Preoccupied alternately by moonlight and magnolias and racism and rape, we have continually presented ourselves with an Old South so mirthless it couldn't breathe. If all Mayfield did was remind us that Old Southerners laughed he would have accomplished something. But he also offers a sophisticated analysis of the social functions humor performed and the social anxieties it reflected." "At the same time, Mayfield remains focused on the Southern man himself. Lost between two idealized Souths - partner in the evolution of capitalism and democratic institutions on one side and pre-capitalistic, patriarchal, honor-bound, and conservative on the other. This divide presents interesting ground for this investigation of male identity. Much of what we know about the self-identification of women, slaves, and free blacks is based upon how they defined themselves relative to white men. But we know little of these men's own gender identity - how they defined themselves." "This fascinating book explores the bewildering task of being a "man" in the Old South and how Southern writers used humor to negotiate a path between being a cavalier and con man."--Jacket.
"Counterfeit Gentlemen is a stunning reappraisal of white Southern manhood and identity that uses humor and humorists to carry the reader into the very heart of antebellum culture." "What did it mean to be a white man in the antebellum South? And how can we answer this question from the perspective of the early twenty-first century? John Mayfield does so by revealing how early nineteenth-century Southern humorists addressed the anxieties felt by men seeking to chart a new path between the old honor culture and the new market culture. Lacking the constraints imposed by journalism or proper literature, these writers created fictional worlds where manhood and identity could be tested and explored." "Preoccupied alternately by moonlight and magnolias and racism and rape, we have continually presented ourselves with an Old South so mirthless it couldn't breathe. If all Mayfield did was remind us that Old Southerners laughed he would have accomplished something. But he also offers a sophisticated analysis of the social functions humor performed and the social anxieties it reflected." "At the same time, Mayfield remains focused on the Southern man himself. Lost between two idealized Souths - partner in the evolution of capitalism and democratic institutions on one side and pre-capitalistic, patriarchal, honor-bound, and conservative on the other. This divide presents interesting ground for this investigation of male identity. Much of what we know about the self-identification of women, slaves, and free blacks is based upon how they defined themselves relative to white men. But we know little of these men's own gender identity - how they defined themselves." "This fascinating book explores the bewildering task of being a "man" in the Old South and how Southern writers used humor to negotiate a path between being a cavalier and con man."--Jacket.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-155) and index.
The conception and estimate of a gentleman -- Georgia theatrics, Georgia yankees -- Counterfeit presentments -- Useful alloys -- Swamp fevers -- Notes from the underground.
Description based on print version record.
American literature
American wit and humor
Masculinity in literature.
Social values
Men
Patriarchy
Sex role
Masculinity