Regional Homes in the Movie Sweet Home Alabama

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Abstract This paper aims to contribute to recent discussions of ‘regional homes’ by focusing on the meaning of the term ‘region’ and by focusing on the picture of ‘regional homes’ in the movie Sweet Home Alabama. I claim that ‘home’ is necessarily the place one was born and raised up. Particularly, growing up in a specific region will shape the persons attitudes, thoughts and behaviors throughout their lifetime. Furthermore, I argue that ‘home’ captures attachment and relationships to places, people and culture. In my research paper, I will firstly distinguish the terms ‘region’, ‘home’ and ‘house’. Secondly, I will analyze how regionalism is shown in the film Sweet Home Alabama by contrasting Northern and Southern houses, lifes and attitudes. Lastly, I will try to find a conclusion in what affords home anchors people throughout their life. I want to begin this term paper by distinguishing the differences between ‘region’, ‘home’ and ‘house’. According to humanist discourses, the most important place of belonging is ‘home’. In particular, people living in ‘regional homes’ share certain characteristics such as language or values that strengthen their belongings. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a region is “an area, especially part of a country or the world having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries” (Oxford Dictionary, 2013). Commonalities such as history, language or economy create an own identity for the people living in that region. Sandra A. Zagarell, a professor of English at Oberlin College in Ohio, states that regions are not only place-based rather than human shaped (Zagarell, 199). She argues that regions “have been created and re-created” due to settlements of population, cultural and economic developments as well as the consolidation of nation-states. In addition, she argues that
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