Book Review of Tara Revisited
Book Review of: Tara Revisited
Maria Kelly
History 204.401
May 8, 2008
Throughout History, women have played various roles, but often time portrayed much differently. In Tara Revisited Catherine Clinton analyzes the women of the South during and after the Civil War and discusses the myths and realities. Often in literature and movies, there was an idealized picture of a gentle and romantic picture of Southern life, yet this was not the realistic picture. Tara Revisited was copy written in 1995 by Catherine Clinton, and published in 1995 by Abbeville Press. Catherine Clinton is a research associate at the W.E.B Dubois Institute at Harvard University. The book begins that stating that this is not an endeavor to ‘find’ Tara, rather an attempt to relocate the legend, in particular to the relation to the lives of Southern women. Clinton states the myth of Tara serves as a backdrop while the focus is on the women during the battle for Confederate independence, parallel to the struggle for black emancipation. Women on the plantation, both black and white, were not merely left behind during the Civil War, but instead right at the center of victories and defeat. Beautiful pictures are created of southern belles and beaux with lavish entertainment, yet the strenuous work needed to maintain the extravagant estates is left out. A white woman, the plantation mistress, was often responsible for management of the estates, and was expected to provide for her husband’s slaves in four important areas: food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. Although the plantation mistress was to appear just for decoration, in reality she was the living symbol of her civilization, for holding her household together. Since many families could not afford an overseer, the mistress performed tasks such as growing herbs, planting gardens, blending medicines, dipping candles, spinning thread, weaving cloth, kitting and sewing, supervision of
Maria Kelly
History 204.401
May 8, 2008
Throughout History, women have played various roles, but often time portrayed much differently. In Tara Revisited Catherine Clinton analyzes the women of the South during and after the Civil War and discusses the myths and realities. Often in literature and movies, there was an idealized picture of a gentle and romantic picture of Southern life, yet this was not the realistic picture. Tara Revisited was copy written in 1995 by Catherine Clinton, and published in 1995 by Abbeville Press. Catherine Clinton is a research associate at the W.E.B Dubois Institute at Harvard University. The book begins that stating that this is not an endeavor to ‘find’ Tara, rather an attempt to relocate the legend, in particular to the relation to the lives of Southern women. Clinton states the myth of Tara serves as a backdrop while the focus is on the women during the battle for Confederate independence, parallel to the struggle for black emancipation. Women on the plantation, both black and white, were not merely left behind during the Civil War, but instead right at the center of victories and defeat. Beautiful pictures are created of southern belles and beaux with lavish entertainment, yet the strenuous work needed to maintain the extravagant estates is left out. A white woman, the plantation mistress, was often responsible for management of the estates, and was expected to provide for her husband’s slaves in four important areas: food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. Although the plantation mistress was to appear just for decoration, in reality she was the living symbol of her civilization, for holding her household together. Since many families could not afford an overseer, the mistress performed tasks such as growing herbs, planting gardens, blending medicines, dipping candles, spinning thread, weaving cloth, kitting and sewing, supervision of