What does Atlanta represent?

Atlanta is the symbol for "otherness," all things outside of Ringgold. It is where some great things are located, such as the Varsity, Lenox Mall, college football. However, to Reverend Cline it is also the place where crime and civil rights and free love find their origin. To Catherine Grace, it is the Big City of her dreams, where she will be able to get out of her small existence and live large.