Greenberg Reading, Chapter 1

The first chapter of Kenneth Greenberg's book on Southern culture, called Honor and Slavery, deals with the role of lying and honor in Southern elite society. The two went hand in hand; in fact, the facade of maintaining honor and honesty in society overtook any actual argument that was taking place. Two examples of that are laid out in the first chapter of the book. The conflict over the Feejee Mermaid was really more about the honor of two men, editor Richard Yeadon and scientist Richard Bachman, and not over the authenticity of the "mermaid" itself. The incident between Thomas Gilmer and William Rives, while about Rives' support for the Force Bill and his stance on the tariff law, was really about the sense of betrayal that existed between the two men. Perception, and not reality, was the key in Southern elite society. 

Even the body itself was not exempt from these cultural laws. The nose was considered the most important part of the body, as it protruded from the face and was the most noticeable part of what was always noticed during conversation, the face. Pulling one's nose was, therefore, an act showing considerable disrespect, and could call for a duel.  Southern law was also built around honor; whenever a person was killed during a duel, they were to be buried in a disrespectful way, or hung in front of others so that they would be humiliated in death. 

Honor was also a barrier between the races, and between master and slave. Honor could only belong to masters, who were seen as being key members of society, and never to slaves, who were seen as being untrustworthy. One important question to ask is: did this also exist for poor whites and free blacks? Or did the system completely ignore those two often forgotten groups of the antebellum south?