Stigma Of Arkansas Summary

The article was a well-written article that explains the ins and outs and the reasoning for the stigma that is attached to Arkansas and Arkansans. The author is not from Arkansas and shows an interesting take on how an outsider looking in and sees the people from Arkansas. He explains that Arkansas has a stigma of being a backwards, behind the times state and its inhabitants are usually assumed to be unintelligent and backwards. He shows that in his opinion this is not true and goes on to explain the history of the state and how early on Arkansans were trapped by a metaphorical wall because of the tribes of Indians that inhabited the area that is now known as Oklahoma. The inhabitants of early Arkansas were not exposed to travelers and people passing through because once you got into Arkansas you had to stay there because there was no way to get any further on the other side.

So, the typical early Arkansas families just stayed where they were instead of advancing to new areas and exposing themselves to different cultures and ways of life.

They were in their own spot and created their own traditions and ways of doing things. They were usually inbreed to an extent because of the limited options for a spouse and this just added to the stigma of being an uneducated group of people. There were no new travelers because instead of going through Arkansas travelers would find different ways to continue traveling west. As America grew and industrialized they were left behind because of their location and limited access to the outside world. The people of Arkansas were classified and are still classified as hard working citizens and after the theoretical wall was broken down they were incredibly sought after for other areas of the

country.
The main themes of the article were the stigmas of Arkansas and its people and why they are classified in the way they are. I feel that the author was trying to let his audience know the history behind the stigmas attached to Arkansans and I also feel he was trying to show that you should not underestimate its people by the stigmas that are attached to them. He also goes to tell examples of times that he has come in contact with an Arkansan and tries to tell how his experience with them is not what people would think. They are not the stereotypical Arkansans society would perceive them as. They have teeth, wear shoes, have nice things, not all of them are inbreed, etc. Arkansans may be different in many ways but they just weren’t as up to date on information than other states. In this article he does give evidence that Arkansans were mostly backwards and behind the times but I believe he was trying to support his idea that the people he has come across from Arkansas in his lifetime did not fit the stigma. They are just misunderstood. I feel that he went about explaining his argument very well, in a way that people can see the truth about Arkansans and the reasoning behind there traditions and culture.
This article was a very interesting read and gave a great history lesson and explanation of the stigmas attached to this state. I feel that it has been beneficial in my understanding of the subject because of my limited exposure of the history of the state. It was a great way to get started in learning more about the state and give a great understanding of the thought process of society when talking about Arkansas and its history.