Appalachian Studies Commons^™

Holler: An Exploration Of Appalachian Performativity, David Powell

Theses and Dissertations

Holler: An Appatragedy is a play written in order to indict, examine and contemplate the toxic ideals of Appalachian culture. The play and the following in-depth character analysis are meant to portray a quartet of siblings who have been abandoned by their parents due to undisclosed issues (potentially addiction or mental health issues) and left to be cared for by their grandparents.

Throughout the events of the play, the culture is questioned as the elder siblings return from their lives outside Appalachia to attend the grandmother’s funeral, colliding with their brother and scheming to help their youngest brother escape from …

The Mountains At The End Of The World: Subcultural Appropriations Of Appalachia And The Hillbilly Image, 1990-2010, Paul L. Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

There is an aversion within the field of Appalachian Studies to addressing the cultural formulations of the Appalachian/hillbilly/mountaineer as an icon of aggressive resistance. The aversion is understandable, as for far too long images of the irrationally and savagely violent mountaineer were integral to the most gross popular culture stereotypes of Appalachia. Media consumers often take pleasure or comfort in these images, which usually occur in a reactionary context with the hillbilly as either a type of nationally necessary savage OR as an unregenerate barbarian against whom a national civilization will triumph and benefit by the struggle.

I bookend my …

Embedded In These Walls, Trish J. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Embedded In These Walls uses photographic imagery, archival ephemera, and written text to examine a specific history of generational trauma through the lens of a singular family of a southern tradition to point to a larger systemic breakdown of accountability and truthfulness regarding abuse