Was class more important than race in shaping the environment in which Carter grew up?

Was class more important than race in shaping the environment in which Carter grew up?

In his 16th boo, the 39th president of the US presented an in depth account of his youth and the social scenario that existed in the first half of the 20th century. This paper attempts to highlight if class more important than race in shaping the environment in which Carter grew up. Carter's presence as a farmer and his interactions with people belonging to differing races and classes presents an in depth narration of the American society in the thirties. In order to do so, the paper will seek insight from Carter's book: An hour before daylight: memories of a rural boyhood.

Class was not significant than race in shaping the environment in which Carter grew up. Carter's book speaks of a time when racial segregation went unchallenged but class driven segregation prevailed. Nobody challenged the segregation on the basis of class. It was common practice treat people differently on the basis of their class. Carter was a child when class based segregation was at its peak. Even though Carter used to play with children belonging to different races, his friends did not join him in the same school. Carter's friends went to different schools. In addition, Carter's friends sat in different sections in public areas.

It is clear from the book that Carter's times did not give a significant degree of relevance to race. Racial animosities were absent from social structure and society was too preoccupied with economic fluctuations to give primary relevance to racial segregation. Class based segregation dictated the manner in which society functioned. The relevance of class based segregation was prevalent to the point where it formed the underlying tapestry ...