●A sub-genre of Gothic writing style●Not used solely for the sake of suspense●Often relies on ironic, supernatural, or unusual events●Often uses flawed, grotesque, unpleasant characters●Explores social issues and reveals social issues and reveals the cultural character of the the cultural character of the American SouthAmerican South

Southern Gothic Traits

Southern Gothic Southern Gothic Gothic popular in Europe in Gothic popular in Europe in

1800s1800s FrankensteinFrankenstein by Mary Shelley by Mary Shelley DraculaDracula by Bram Stoker by Bram Stoker

Takes classic Gothic Takes classic Gothic archetypes, such as the archetypes, such as the monster or the heroic monster or the heroic knight, and turns them into knight, and turns them into American Southerners American Southerners a spiteful, reclusive spinster a spiteful, reclusive spinster an uneducated drunkan uneducated drunk a quiet, wise lawyera quiet, wise lawyer

BackgroundBackground Most notable feature is Most notable feature is

the “grotesque”the “grotesque” a character whose negative a character whose negative

qualities allow the author qualities allow the author to to highlight unpleasant highlight unpleasant aspects in Southern cultureaspects in Southern culture

Something in the town, the Something in the town, the house, the farm is bizarre house, the farm is bizarre and often falling apartand often falling apart

Defining FeatureDefining Feature Cast of off-kilter characters

Broken bodies, minds or souls Used to symbolize problems created by the

established pattern Used to question established pattern’s morality

and ethical justification The “Innocent” is a common character, who

may or may not be “broken,” but who often acts as a redeemer for others

Other Specific Features of Other Specific Features of Southern GothicSouthern Gothic

FreakishnessFreakishness

Outsider Outsider

ImprisonmentImprisonment

ViolenceViolence

Sense of PlaceSense of Place

FreakishnessFreakishness In most Southern gothic stories, there is an

important character who is set apart from the world in a negative way by a disability or an odd, and often negative way of seeing the world.

OutsiderOutsider Southern novels are filled with characters who are Southern novels are filled with characters who are

set a part from the established cultural pattern, set a part from the established cultural pattern, but who end up being heroes because their but who end up being heroes because their difference allows them to see new ways of doing difference allows them to see new ways of doing things that things that ultimatelyultimately help to bring people out of help to bring people out of the “dark.”the “dark.”

ImprisonmentImprisonment

Often both literal and Often both literal and figurative. figurative.

Many Southern Many Southern gothic tales include gothic tales include an incident where a an incident where a character is sent to character is sent to jail or locked up.jail or locked up.

There are also There are also Southern gothic Southern gothic characters that live in characters that live in Fate's prison. prison.

ViolenceViolence

Racial, social and class difference often create underlying tension in Southern gothic novels that threatens, and usually does, erupt in violent ways

Sense of PlaceSense of Place You can’t read a Southern Gothic novel without

understanding what a Southern town “feels” like: Old small towns

Houses have front porches with rocking chairs Old downtown with stately but worn-down

buildings

Flannery O’ConnorFlannery O’Connor An only child Born on March 25,

1925 in Savannah, Georgia

Life-long Roman Catholic

Novelist and short story writer

She then entered Georgia State College for Women (now known as Georgia College and State University)where she majored in English and Sociology.

She graduated from the Peabody Laboratory School in 1942.

Flannery O’ Connor is renown for many works: ■ Wise Blood ■ “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” ■ The Violent Bear It Away■ “Everything that Rises Must Converge”

In 1949, Flannery O’Connor decided to live with Robert and Sally Fitzgerald in Redding,

Connecticut.

In 1951, O’Connor was diagnosed with lupus and returned to Milledgeville.

And raised 100 peafowl.

Flannery O’Connor died at the age of 39 on August 3, 1964 from disseminated lupus.

(1925-1964)