1. Southern Gothic
Literature

2. Background Sub-genre of the Gothic style Popular in Europe in 1800s
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Unique to American literature
relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot
explores and reveals social issues concerning the cultural character of the American South.

3. Background
Takes classic Gothic archetypes, such as the monster or the heroic knight, and turns them into American Southerners
Dark twist on Southern characters
Southern belle as town tramp
Righteous preacher
as pedophile
“grotesque”
a character whose negative qualities highlight unpleasant aspects in southern culture.
Something in the town, the house, the farm is bizarre and often falling apart

4. Defining Feature Cast of ‘off-kilter’ characters
Broken bodies, minds, or souls
symbolize problems created by the established pattern
question established pattern’s morality and ethical justification
“Innocent” that acts as a redeemer for others

5. Other Specific Features
Freakishness
Outsider
Imprisonment
Violence
Sense of Place

6. Freakishness
character negatively set apart from the world by a disability or oddity
Skewed world view

7. Outsider
characters set apart from the established cultural pattern, but end up being heroes
difference allows enlightened perspective that ultimately helps to bring people out of the “dark.”

8. Imprisonment Both literal and figurative
Often includes incident where a character is sent to jail or imprisoned
Some characters live in fate's prison.

9. Violence
Racial, social, and class differences often create underlying tension, oftentimes, erupting in violently

10. Sense of Place Clear depiction of rural southern setting
Old small towns
Creaky front porches with rocking chairs
Old downtown with stately but worn-down buildings

11. Notable Southern Gothic Lit.
Bastard Out of Carolina
Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil
To Kill a Mockingbird
Streetcar Named Desire
A Rose for Emily