Isham and Gorn - Violence in the South

Worksheet # 5 - Isham and Gorn - Violence in the South

1. According to Gorn, why was the backwoods South best suited for rough-and-tumble fighting? What was it about the society, the environment, and people that encouraged this type of fighting?

2. How does class (i.e. lower, middle, upper class) relate to rough-and-tumble fighting? Who was partaking in this type of behavior? Why?

3. Why do you think Isham remembered all of his fights, his opponents, and the injuries he inflicted on them? What does that say about what his fighting meant to him?

4. Use Isham’s account of his life (and violence) to back up one of Gorn’s arguments. (For example, use a quote from Isham - maybe regarding one of his fights) and directly relate it to one of Gorn’s examples or quotes.

5. What did Isham’s opponents have in common? What was Isham’s relationship with his opponents after the fight?