The Southern Belle - Essay Example

According to Lynn, southern belles are special and highly respected (Lynn, n.d). Southern belle refers to a female from southern United States who is beautiful, intelligent, rich, innocent, and has charm and style. Undoubtedly, these women are usually spoiled and pampered due to the distinct qualities they own (Wilson, 2012). The term “Southern Belle” was derived from a French word called “belle” meaning beautiful and it developed in the South during the antebellum period and during this time, it was used to refer to a young and unmarried girl ranked in upper class of the society.

Those ranked in the upper class were powerful, landowners, and were the drivers of the economy. Typically, a southern belle was known to wear a hoop skirt, a corset, straw hat, and gloves and carrying parasol umbrellas, and this make them look elegant and unique. From a long time, the term southern belle was used to define only white females but this term has evolved and is today used to define any southern woman. Arguably, upper class southern women were supposed to dress only in a certain way, speak in a specific manner, eat in a particular way, stand and walk only in a certain way, as well as living their lives only in a required manner.

Generally, the southern belle occupied the upper class in the society and was very beautiful. Typical southern belle is determined by manners, cooking, attitude, and dress code among others. Living in the south was conditioned due to the set rules that young girls and women were supposed to obey in order to qualify the title ‘southern belle’. These rules were based on dress code, cooking, education, attitude, and entertaining. Most southern belles learnt to obey these rules and acquire necessary qualities from their mothers and grandmothers.

A true southern belle minds and knows her manners, that is, well mannered, respect all, and appreciative (Wilson, 2012). Accordingly, a true belle is charming, has a genuine smile and sweet southern drawl that distracted many wherever she steps. More so, a true southern belle is are of how to dress in a more appropriate and required manner and knew to dress in a seductive manner but in privet. Accordingly, her attitude is pleasing, for instance, a southern belle is always willing to help, volunteers to help where necessary and do not care about money.

Moreover, a true belle values education and develop their careers. She also values and respects her friends and treats her with kindness and more affection (Wilson, 2012). Most importantly, a true southern belle knows to cook in a way that entices everyone. A true belle prepares delicious food and serves guests or family members with respect. In addition, they are taught to treat their husbands well and show them love and care (Avery, 2012). It is undoubtedly obvious that from all these qualities, a woman from the south is praised and respected.

However, some individuals have misunderstood the term “southern belle” sometimes. Truly, coming from the south or living in the south does not automatically qualify every girl to be a southern belle and this where most people misunderstand the term. Misunderstanding a southern belle is also an obvious mistake because some people assume that once a girl come