A Comparison and Contrast of two of the South’s greatest Southern Women Writers: Welty and Murfree Presented by: Jay McGregor Bryan Tate

Murfree Mary Murfree was born on January 24, 1850 In Murfreesboro Tennessee In 1856 she moved with her family to Nashville Tennessee At the age of four Murfree had an illness that left her with partial paralysis She was enrolled in the Nashville Female Academy, where her and her sisters learned three languages French, Latin, and Spanish.

In 1867 she went to the Chegary Institute, which is a finishing school for girls in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. It was during her time at the Chegary Institute that she developed a passion for music and poetry. Throughout her adolescence Murfree spent 15 consecutive summers at Beersheba Springs resort.

Beersheba Springs is a resort village in the Cumberland Mountains. The time she spent in this area is what introduced Murfree to the mountain people and their way of life. In 1869 the price of cotton hit bottom and her family suffered financially.

In an attempt to pass time Murfree began writing stories. Her first article “Flirts and their Ways” was published under the pen name R. Emmet Dembry in In 1878 The Atlantic Monthly, a paper in Boston began publishing some of her work, under the pen name Charles Egbert Craddock

Many women writers used pseudonyms that were masculine just so their work would be published. It wasn’t until seven years later in 1885 that Mary disclosed her true identity. This made national headlines, and after this discovery all of her work was immediately published.

She was compared to all of the best local writers around. Mary Murfree was an American Fiction writer of novels and short stories. She wrote 25 books in all and was able to provide financial support for her family through her writings.

In 1889 Mary returned to Murfreesboro with her family from St. Louis. She completed her first historic novel in In 1908 she completed her first delta region novel, The Fair Mississippian. She died on July 31, Sadly her obituary was only four lines long on the seventeenth page of the New York Times paper.

Welty Eudora Welty was born on April 13, 1909 In Jackson, Mississippi Her college education included two years at Mississippi State College for Women, several years at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and a year in New York City studying advertising at the Columbia University business school Johnston).

Returned home to Jackson after her father died in Began working in local radio and journalism. From 1933 – 1936, she served as a publicity agent for the Works Progress Administration throughout rural Mississippi.

Started publishing fiction in 1936 Was on the New York Times book review in Her first published story was, “ Death of a Traveling Salesman “. She used a lot of symbolism and figurative language in telling her stories and tended to focus on the family and social issues.

She began traveling abroad, but returned home in the 1960’s soon after her first novel was published to care for her ill mother. She began writing again in 1966 after her mother had died. Photography had a profound influence on Welty’s mode of writing.

“ Life doesn’t hold still,” as she explains in One Writer’s Beginnings. Her fiction was usually set in the rural South, primarily Mississippi. She died on July 23, 2001.

Comparisons Murfree nor Welty ever married. Neither had any children. Both lived with their families. Both spent time caring for their families, Murfree supported her family financial and Welty supported her family physically.

Both centered their writings around one specific area. Murfree’s writing was centered around the Mountains of Tennessee and Welty’s throughout Mississippi. Both women were extremely detailed with the scenery in their writing. As if the reader was looking at a photograph. Both women have been heavily criticized for their styles of writing.

Neither woman ever wrote an autobiography. Both women had secondary education. Both of these women’s works are being read, studied, and scrutinized today. Both women are considered Southern Women Writers.

Contrast Murfree wrote during the 19 th century where as Welty wrote during the 20 th century. Murfree began writing under a male pseudonym, whereas it was not necessary for Welty to do in order to become published. Murfree’s writing were based on the mountains and the people that inhabited them.

Welty wrote about rural Mississippi and the people that lived there. Murfree was inspired by her annual trek to Beersheba Springs. Welty was inspired by her trip throughout Mississippi while working for the Works Progress Administration.

Murfree is said to be a footnote in the history of American Literature. Welty and her writing are well known. Murfree’s death made the 17 th page of the New York Times. Welty’s death was covered by CNN.

References Ensor (2008) Ensor, A. (1998). Mary Noailles Murfree (Charles Egbert Craddock) In The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved January 18, 2008, from yID=M131 yID=M131 Satterwhite, E. (2006). Reading Craddock, Reading Murfree: Local Color, Authenticity, and Geographies of Reception. AMERICAN LITERATURE, 78(1), Retrieved February 25, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database Web Site: ery?vid=9&hid=16&sid= a ery?vid=9&hid=16&sid= a

Tennessee State Library and Archives. (). Wish You Were Here: Retreat to Tennessee's Historic Resorts. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from Tennessee State Library and Archives Web Site: beersheba.htm beersheba.htm Chadwick, P. (2002). Essortment. Retrieved January 16, 2008, from tm tm

Eudora Welty bibliography) The Associated Press. (). Eudora Welty bibliography. Retrieved January 18, 2008, from 07/welty.bibliography/content.html 07/welty.bibliography/content.html Author Eudora Welty dead at 92)Cnn.Com. (). Author Eudora Welty dead at 92. Retrieved January 20, 2008, from 7/23/welty.obit/

Johnston, C. A. (). Eudora Welty. Retrieved January 22, 2008, from writers/dir/welty_eudora/ Pollack, H. (1997 ). Photographic Convention and Story Composition : Eudora Welty’s Uses of Detail, Plot, Genre, and Expectation from “ A Worn Path “ Through the Bride of the Innisfallen [Electronic version ]. South Central Review,14 (2), 15-34