Cultural Intermarriage in Southern Appalachia: Cherokee Elements in Four Selected Novels by Lee Smith

Examining four of Lee Smith's mountain novels from the point of view of cultural anthropology, this study shows that fragments of the Cherokee heritage resonate in her work. These elements include connections with the Cherokee beliefs regarding medicinal plants and spirit animals, Cherokee stories about the Daughter of the Sun, the corn Woman, the Spear Finger, the Raven Mocker, the Little People and the booger men; the Cherokee concept of witchcraft; and the social position of Cherokee women.