The Birth of a Nation Visions of the South Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation.

Quote #1

INTERTITLE: Piedmont, South Carolina, the home of the Camerons, where life runs in a quaintly way that is to be no more.

Yes—it runs in a "quaintly way" that includes the mass enslavement of people and enforced racism. Snark aside, Griffith frames the South as a wonderful, picturesque place that was only sullied by the Civil War.

Visions of the South

Quote #2

[Puppies and kittens are seen playing at the Camerons' feet.]

By associating the South with these young domesticated animals, Griffith is associating the region with innocence—an innocence he perceives as being ruined by Northern intrusion.

Visions of the South

Quote #3

[The Stoneman brothers warmly greet the Cameron family upon their arrival in Piedmont.]

The relationship between the Stonemans and Camerons is a way of depicting the relationship between the North and South as being positive before the war. Of course, we all know how things end up.

Visions of the South
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