Tell me what you think of this one, the assignment was write a definition essay, third person using the sub topic redneck culture. Suggestions on grammar and punct would be appreciated!
Redneck Culture
The word "redneck" can mean many things, such as a hick from the country or a quick tendency to resort to violence -- or it could simply mean your childhood was influenced by a farming community away from any major city. One also might consider rednecks beer drinking trailer trash, however, most could distinguish the difference between country and trailer trash. Redneck culture is often looked down upon, and most would venture to term it a derogatory filth that resides in the south where those hillbillies with no shoes live, they stay in old run down shacks cut into steep mountains full of baltic black coal. Rednecks are generally stereotyped due to the impressions made by their accents, slang, and communication styles, but, left on their own, they seem to perform quite well in everyday life without proper table manners or suits and ties. Rednecks just beat to the sound of their own drum.
If you searched the term "redneck" in Webster's Dictionary you'd find a picture of Buford Delbert Pierson. He was born in a rundown faded red shack on a dead end road in the middle of a heat wave in July,1959. Buford was the oldest of five children, and had his front teeth knocked out when he was twelve by pulling and swinging on limps from a gigantic Weeping Willow tree standing some twenty-feet tall. He was playing Tarzan, and was swinging from branch to branch in the Willow and then crossed over to an old White Oak just as a branch gave way striking him in the mouth. He didn't cry much, he mostly just spit and said "tough titty said the kitty when the milk went dry", you see Buford was a tough son-of-a-gun, and he had a way with words those from up north wouldn't appreciate or understand; he was a redneck from Kentucky.
Rednecks talk a little slower, and use words that may not be proper, but have a nice sound to them. They even like to repeat a popular phrase now and then like: "dog won't hunt", in other words: bad idea or a waste of time or "can't never could and could never would", in other words: you've got to try. Obviously, there is a communication barrier to break through to get on the country-type redneck speaking terms, and most fail to overcome that, and therefore miss the nuances and subtleties associated with this culture. It's not that they are stupid, it's they speak another language.
Now, some yaw-hoos are quick to resort to getting red (in other words they have a short fuse). A true redneck will show his colors when you add a little alcohol and get a few people around. Two or three drinks and ole Buford will be looking to test out his manhood. This may be the most dangerous part of being a redneck, cause there is always a bigger rooster wanting to play in the hen house. Fights and alcohol are associated with the redneck and poorer southern cultures, and its been that way since man first planted cotton and tobacco in the fields.
Rednecks are alive and well in America in every state and in every county throughout the vast land. Some would point to the dixie flag or perhaps even a Remington hat with a bent bill. Some would claim rednecks are loud, fond of beer, fight, and live in trailers. There are many other confusing attributes that define red neck culture: a person from the hills, a tobacco spitting camouflaged deer hunter, monster trucks, and NASCAR enthusist. It appears these so called redneck are just every day ordinary Americans that like a slower tune from the fiddle player, and just might get a little rowdy, but don't expect them to be in a suit and tie unless it's Sunday. As Buford Pierson says, "there is a little redneck in all of us."
The word "redneck" can mean...
(Above) Use quotation marks when referring to a word.
... many things, such as a hick from the country or a quick tendency to resort to violence -- or it could simply mean your childhood was influenced by a farming community away from any major city.
Does this (above) seem better?
Right here, you sort of become guilty of perpetuating the stereotype by making these generalizations about them: Rednecks are generally stereotyped due to their accents, slang language, and lack of formal communication skills, although, left on their own they seem to perform quite well in everyday life without proper table manners or suits and ties. However, since you are talking about a subculture in general, I think you can get away with making generalizations. Maybe write: ... due to the impressions made by their accents, slang, and communication styles, but, left on their own, they...
...resort to getting red (in other words they have a short fuse).
No need to confuse the issue by saying something unclear about race:
...and its been that way since the white and black man first planted cotton and tobacco in the fields earliest days of the American South.
Interesting essay!!
You might want to provide a coherent definition for redneck that encompasses all of the meanings you list in your introduction. Presumably, "uneducated rural folk with limited exposure to people from other background," would about cover it. Someone who lives out in a rural area but who has a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry wouldn't generally get hit with the redneck label, so a rural background alone wouldn't be enough. At the same time, an uneducated homeless man wandering the streets of a major city wouldn't qualify either, so lack of education alone wouldn't work either. Likewise, you need the last part of the definition to eliminate the trait of worldly sophistication, which generally disqualifies one from being a redneck. Then you can list the traits you currently include as potential identifying signs that someone might be a redneck.
"swinging on limbs from a gigantic Weeping Willow tree "
