South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation

What argument is Perry making about the South, and how does she support it? How does she define the South, and what areas comprise it?

At the end of Chapter 11, Perry writes that we “know the song, maybe even the story [of the US’s history of repression], but I want you to study its provenance. Because it belongs to you, too. We are all implicated; we all are. But will you serve as witness” (212)? What is your answer to her question? How can contemporary Americans define and understand the South? How does the region shape US identity and your personal identity?

Perry writes, “The South is so varying that it can seem endless. And yet you will still know ‘Southern’ means something over and against other regions” (315). What does she mean, and how does her analysis support this conclusion?

Perry frequently writes about the confluence of multiple cultural influences in Southern cities. Identify some of these influences in at least three cities, and explain their origins and modern significance.

Perry writes, “Because history is an instruction. And what you neglect to attend to from the past, you will surely ignore in the present” (229). Explain this quote and how Perry uses history to explain current events. How might you use your knowledge of the South’s role in US history to better understand the present?

In her conclusion, Perry writes, “Dreaming isn’t dead. It can’t be. We can do it anew. Me and you, both of us are required. I believe writing can be moral instrument if it asks you to do more than read. Do you?” (382). She calls on her readers to act when they witness injustice rather than to sit in silence with their disgust. What is your response to her challenge?

Why does Perry end her travelogue in the Caribbean, specifically Cuba and the Bahamas? How do these islands relate to the book’s argument?

What is the significance of Perry’s book concluding in Houston? How does Houston fit the frameworks of the US South and the Global South?