Southern Gothic

Southern

Gothic

Literature

1

Background on Gothic Literature

The terms “Goth” and “Gothic” were
originally used to describe the Germanic
tribes that pilfered and plundered across
Europe from
the 3rd to the
5th centuries.

3

The architecture from the 12th to the
16th centuries is called “gothic.”

It is
characterized
by pointed
arches and
flying
buttresses.

4

5

Notre Dame

Westminster Abbey

Harkness

Tower

In 18th century England, the term “gothic”
became synonymous with Middle Ages - a

period of chaos and superstition.

6

Characteristics of Gothic Literature

• Gloom and doom setting –

mysterious castles, dungeons,
frightening forests, labyrinths,
secret passages, cemeteries,

mist and fog
• Ambiguous heroes and villains –

neither absolutely good nor
absolutely evil

• Often involves an ancestral
curse and family secrets

8

Common Motifs

• Revenge
• Decay
• Transformation
• Superstitions
• Grave robbing
• Mystery
• Nightmares/dreams
• Necromancy
• Pursued female
• Unreliable narrator

9

Famous Gothic Literature

Frankenstein by Mary
Shelley 1818

Dracula by Bram Stoker
1897

Copyright 2014 Dianne Mason

10

​Southern Gothic

​

​Southern Gothic is a SUBGENRE of gothic fiction. The primary difference between the two is that Southern Gothic stories take place in . . . the south.

Common features of Southern Gothic stories:

• Southern settings and characters

• Anti-heroes and villains

• Examinations of racism

• Critiques of Southern values (southern manners, morals, traditions, etc.)

• ​GROTESQUE characters

• ​Good Vs. Evil (what is good? what is evil?)

Southern Gothic Literature

Southern Gothic literature turns the
tropes of traditional gothic literature,
such as the hero and the monster, into
American Southerners.

It focuses on their
moral and social
shortcomings of
damaged, even
delusional
characters.

13

Characteristics of Southern

Gothic Literature

“Grotesque” – This term can include
situations
as well as
flawed,
characters
exhibit anti-

and places
deeply
disturbing
who often
social

behavior while simultaneously
invoking feelings of sympathetic pity.

14

More Characteristics

• Outsiders become

heroes

• Dark humor
• Sense of

supernatural

• Generational decay

• Strong sense of

place

• Disturbing, realistic

or ironic events

• Nostalgia for past
• Broken or unusual

physical objects.

15

Southern Gothic Writers examined the darker side of life in the South.

e.g. slavery, racism, classism, deep poverty, violence, crime . . .

​Grotesque in Southern Gothic

​In Southern Gothic literature, while the grotesque is sometimes visible, it is often HIDDEN on the inside. People can look grotesque, but they can also BE grotesque because of what they have done or what they think and say.

​

​In "A Lesson Before Dying," think about ways in which indirect characterization (STEAL) is used to show how grotesque people can be not just on the outside, but on the inside as well.

Multiple Choice

In most Southern Gothic texts, the protagonist is...

• is extremely wealthy and loses it all!
• Makes a regrettable decision but learns a hard lesson
• is separated from society/the family
• is betrayed by a loved one

Multiple Choice

 What do the flaws of characters in southern gothic novels help the author imply in their story?

• he nastiness of Southerners' personalities
• the negative aspects of Southern culture, such as racism, violence and other social issues
• the decline of America after the Civil War
• the postive aspects of Southern culture, such as music and holiday celebrations

Multiple Choice

What do we find a lot of in Southern Gothic literature?

• Comedy
• Satire
• The Grotesque
• Romance

Multiple Choice

The genre of southern literature that became popular in the

• 1970s-1980s

• 1900s-1920s

• 1940s – 1960s

• 1960s-1970s

Multiple Choice

All of the following are common settings of Southern Gothic Literature EXCEPT...

• Plantations

• wealthy town with up and coming economies

• Slave quarters

• Broken down towns

Multiple Choice

Southern Gothic literature does which of the following?

• explores religious issues and reveals the political character of the American South

• explores political issues and reveals the traditional character of the American South

• explores social issues and reveals the cultural character of the American South

• explores economic issues and reveals the state of the economy of the American South