The dynamics of place in Lee Smith’s Saving Grace

Abstract

In this paper I explore Lee Smith’s use of memory, storytelling and naming practices, especially as they relate to her heroine’s sense of place and determine how she evolves to tell her story. For Gracie, sense of place becomes intricately liked with memory, and as she tells her story and names herself, these two activities both nourish and liberate her, freeing her to create a new path, a new life.