Travel lit. Bryson and Philips

When Bryson reminisces about travelling in the South as a teenager he recalls being stared at by fourteen strangers and is looked up and down by a police man when he visits the South as an adult. In both texts there is an uneasiness, nearing fear, about the American South and a belief that the people living there do not like any interruption in their lives or any intrusion from strangers. Both writers are fearful of the law even of minor offences like jaywalking or double parking; the undertones of this suggest their belief that South American law is corrupt.
             In this passage Phillips is treated with a general disrespect, the secretary does not allow him to speak and the lawyer does not look up when he enters his office. Despite the disrespect shown toward him, Phillips does not seem to retaliate in his writing. However he does mention that the upper class are called SOBs or South of Broads. It is possible that Phillips is in fact calling the upper class Sons Of Bitches and so is having a subtle dig at people like the lawyer Wilcox who have obvious out of date opinions about race. Bryson is more vocal about his dislike of stereotypical Southerners or "shitty-shoed rednecks"( ). Again the difference in the authors tones and styles is obvious, Phillips is quiet and rather reserved, Bryson is loud and very open.
             In this section of his novel Phillips never openly mentions racism and nor does the lawyer he is talking to but it is apparent to the reader exactly what is being spoken of. This is an effective writing style, Phillips shows the reader that he does not need to embellish his story to make the facts plan and the injustice clear. Bryson is more up front with his opinions and shocks the reader by changing the tone in the middle of this passage to one of absolute seriousness when writing about the racist murders of three young men.
             Phillips notices the "sweltering humidity"( ) and it could be suggested that the heat is a cause for the kind of madness that creates racism in the Southerners as if they have been out in the sun too long.