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Southern Gothic Literature . Southern Gothic Genre . Gothic literature originated in 18 th century England Early gothic writers used the genre in part to criticize what they saw as the moral blindness of the medieval era
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Southern Gothic Genre • Gothic literature originated in 18th century England • Early gothic writers used the genre in part to criticize what they saw as the moral blindness of the medieval era • Similarly, Southern Gothic writers deal with their own past in their stories • Many of the most notable writers of the 20th century wrote in the Southern Gothic tradition
Characteristics of the Genre • General characteristics: Supernatural elements, mental disease, and the grotesque • However, in the Southern tradition, one sees less of the supernatural and more focus on disturbed personalities (eg. AbnerSnopes) • Southern Gothic is known for its damaged and delusional characters. • The genre also deals with the plight of those who are ostracized or oppressed in traditional Southern culture—blacks, women, gays.
Examples of the genre • To Kill a Mockingbird—a clearly innocent black man is convicted or rape and murdered simply because of his race. • A Streetcar Named Desire—reinvents the Southern Belle as a pretentious, mentally unstable woman • “A Rose for Emily”—brings the recurrent Gothic theme of unrequited love leading to madness • Other notable writers of the genre: Truman Capote, Flannery O’ Connor, Eudora Welty, Carson McCullers.
