| Traditionally in the South, time has been perceived as either cyclic or linear. Cyclic time implies endless repetition; linear time, endless progression. Both concepts of time limit Southerners' belief that they can positively change their lives. Contemporary Southern writers, however, are challenging these traditional notions of time. Kaye Gibbons, Josephine Humphreys, and Tina McElroy Ansa have developed an alternative to cyclic and linear time---quasi-cyclic time, which encourages people to embrace their innate agency and allows for change to occur. |
