Literature of the American South Southern Gothic Literature of the American South

Southern Gothic Includes the traditions of the larger Gothic genre (supernatural elements, mental disease, the grotesque) Focuses less on suspense and more on the exploration of social issues and the cultural character of the American South Often leaves out the supernatural element to focus more on disturbed personalities

Southern Gothic Avoids perpetuating romantic antebellum stereotypes like the contented slave, the demure Southern belle, the chivalrous gentleman, or the righteous Christian preacher Portrays characters in a more modern and realistic manner

Southern Gothic Focuses on the “grotesque” – including situations, places or characters that often possess some cringe- inducing qualities (racial bigotry, egotistical self- righteousness, physical deformity, etc.) Uses deeply flawed, grotesque characters for opportunities to highlight unpleasant aspects of Southern culture, without being too literal or overly moralistic

Southern Gothic Often deals with the plight of those who are ostracized or oppressed by traditional Southern culture – blacks, women, gays, etc. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird deals with a clearly innocent black man who is convicted of rape and murdered simply because of his race. Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire reinvents the Southern Belle as a pretentious, mentally-unstable woman, and his Cat on a Hot Tin Roof portrays the favorite son of Southern dynasty as a repr essed homosexual whose alcoholism threatens his marriage. William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” brings the theme of unrequited love leading to madness to a Southern town in which the disapproving residents narrate in a single voice.