Significance of a Key Scene

Chapter six looks into why crime in the United States is highest in the south. Gladwell explores
this by telling a story of how in a small town in Kentucky, conflict between two families ended in
conflict. These American backcountry states are where immigrants of English, Ireland, and
Scotland immigrated to in the 1800s. These immigrants lived off the land and as a result, often
had family rivalries over land and livestock. Gladwell argues that this is why there are high crime
rates in the south today. The theme of this chapter is heritage and culture. Gladwell claims that
the reason they have a more violent approach to problems is due to what he calls cultural
legacy. Gladwell explains that culture can be a big factor in how we react to some situations.
He says that in order to understand success, sometimes we have to look back at how our
predecessors achieved success. The predecessors of southern settlers used violence to
establish dominance within the community. This chapter contrasts to the previous ones where
Gladwell told stories of success, whereas in this one he explores reasons for not becoming
successful.While the south uses violence to do so, that is not the only way to achieve success.