Above you see a picture of a pineapple fountain. This fountain is located in Charleston, South Carolina at Waterfront Park. At first you might think that it's just a nice looking fountain in which they decided to use a pineapple. When I first saw it that is exactly what I thought. I figured, "I guess people like to eat pineapples here in Charleston". Little did I know it meant so much more. The pineapple has long been a symbol of hospitality as well as expressing a sense of welcome.

To me the pineapple is a perfect representation of the South. The people of the South have long been known for being very hospitable to their guests. This is instilled into young southerners at a very young age. You are taught to be on your best behavior in front of others while being polite and being conscientious of your guests needs. To see a prime example of this one needs to look back to the time of the plantation. Plantation families would often entertain guests for months at a time giving them quarters and food all the while. In doing so this would help out the guests tremendously as it would often take months to travel to get to the plantation, depending on where their coming from. Letting the guests stay at the plantation house for long periods of time would allow the guests to stay and relax instead of getting back on the road for another long journey. These plantation families offered great hospitality.

If you look at the picture you can see in the background the Charleston harbor. I believe this is a perfect placement of the fountain because it would easily be seen by any person who is coming into the city by water. A person would look at the pineapple fountain and get a sense that they were welcome into the city and that they would be treated with much respect.

Mitchell Scates