The Prophet of Great Smoky Mountains The classic literary masterpiece created by Mary Noailles Murfree spoke a lot about the uniqueness of Southern American culture. This part of the American continent contributed greatly to the historical and geographical richness of this great country. The culture of Southern America is highly conservative in nature and this conservatism is well depicted in most of its prolific writers. “The Prophet of Great Smoky Mountains” is an example of this thematic expression of love that binds a family, a community and its social relevance. Setting of the Story. The novel was set amidst a majestic mountain named Great Smoky Mountains, which at its highest peaks seems to be unendingly hiding behind clouds, looking like a mystic giant mound of earth that is totally barren. The reader is given the impression that the peak and down the slope are totally isolated, with no forms of life seen or heard. Below it would be where humanity exists as dense forests begin to manifest. Within the shrubs, pines, wilderness or clearings, log cabins were structured. Such were the typical homes of Americans in the prairies, who lived each day at an unhurried pace. Murfree also gave an overview of the means of livelihood common in that place by describing what were planted and …show more content…
The characters themselves embodied the American attitude of warmth and congeniality to strangers, while boldly and outwardly imposing what they feel and think. Speaking in linguistic slang which only the Americans are identified with, the novel possesses the conservatism of the early times of colonial America – from their costumes, way of living, to religious affiliations. The dwellings in the form of log cabins amidst a bare majestic mountain were also clear identities of what a rural American abode typically look like. Indeed this novel by Murfree exemplified what is uniquely and truly Native