Analysis of Southern Gothic Literature Essay examples

Analysis of Southern Gothic Literature Southern Gothic literature, which is a sub-genre of the Gothic writing style, is unique to the American South. Southern Gothic literature has many of the same aspects as Gothic literature; it focuses on topics such as death, madness, and the super natural as well has having many mystical, bizarre, violent, and grotesque aspects. These tools are used to explore social issues and reveal the cultural character of the American South (Wikipedia). The authors of Southern Gothic writing use damaged characters to enhance their stories, and to show deeper highlights of unpleasant southern characteristics. These characters are usually set apart from their societies due to their mental, physical, and or†¦show more content†¦They believed that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were (Perrines 284). No man was good enough for her by her father and by the time she was thirty she was still unwed. After her father died , the people finally had a reason to fell bad for her. She was alone in the world with only her house left; this left her humanized. The day after her fathers death, the women of the town went to give their condolences to Miss. Emily. To their surprise, Miss. Emily was dressed as usual and had no trace of grief on her face (Perrines 285). Emily told the women that her father was not dead. Finally after three days of trying to hold on to her father, she broke down, and they buried her father quickly (Perrines 285). The towns people tired to justify Miss. Emilys actions, by saying that she had nothing left, and was clinging to the one thing that had robbed her for so long they convinced themselves that she was not crazy. The summer after her father died, the town hired contractors to pave the sidewalks. The foreman, Homer Barron, and Miss. Emily became quite fond of one another. On Sunday afternoons they could bee seen driving in his buggy together. Soon the people began to whisper ab out Emily and Homer. Emily held her head high; she would not be seen as anything other than respectful. The towns people believed that Miss. Emily should have kinfolk come to stay with her for a while. While Emilys two cousins were visitingShow MoreRelatedSouthern Gothic Writing Style1497 Words   |  6 PagesMyszkowski English 1102 3 December 2017 Southern Gothic Literature: A Comprehensive Analysis Southern Gothic literature is a writing style that emphasizes the use of macabre and irony to expose social problems in the south. The Southern Gothic writing style aims to expose the ignorance and moral blindness of the American South (Bjerre). Southern Gothic literature uses the writing style to enhance the message of the author. In other words, the author uses Southern Gothic elements to place emphasis on theirRead MoreA Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Essay1064 Words   |  5 Pages(Faulkner 119). The voyeurism that is evident throughout the story, following the life of the main character through the perspective of her watchful community, is introduced by the very first line. In Donaldson’s essay, she explains that many classic southern gothic tales â€Å"bring attention to the spectacle of a woman† (Donaldson 2), which is precisely what any reader of â€Å"A Rose for Emily† will find. Emily Grierson is a spectacle as well as a burden to her community. S he is judged based upon her appearanceRead MoreMary Shelley and Flannery OConnor: Gothic Isolationists1724 Words   |  7 Pages Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines fiction, horror and Romanticism with a particular focus on the mysterious and supernatural aspects. Gothic fiction originated in England during the latter half of the 18th century. This distinctive genre of literature soon developed into a 19th century phenomenon. The success of this dominant genre in England is frequently attributed to Mary Shelley. Despite its success during this time period, gothic fiction ceased to be a dominant genre byRead MoreA Rose For Emily And Gothic Literature1212 Words   |  5 PagesHave you ever read a story filled with horror, death, and a little romance? In literature, stories with these characteristics are classified as gothic literature. For example A Rose For Emily by Emily Faulkner is Southern gothic literature as the setting is specific to the south while The Cast of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe is gothic literature. In A Rose for Emily, Emily and the community are stuck in the old ways of the South as they attempt to avoid the inevitable changes happening aroundRead MoreWilliam Faulkner s A Rose For Emily And Shirley Jackson s `` The Lottery ``1061 Words   |  5 Pagesreader into their story. There is a history behind each story and each with their own family backgrounds. Tradition has a major role in each as well. Faulkner uses a style of southern gothic and Jackson uses a style of northern gothic. Jackson is straight to the point and Faulkner goes around saying things in a nice southern way. The authors use a sense cold-blooded natural at the end of the stories with both ending in death. The first time one reads the story they never see the end coming and theyRead MoreThe Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Literary Analysis1787 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers, is written in third person point of view. However, the perspective switches between five characters. This novel is classified as a Southern Gothic novel. It explores isolation, religion, and race and racism. Throughout the novel, we see the characters’ isolation from society and the affects of isolation on these characters. The theme of religion is also portrayed, mainly in the character of John SingerRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard to Find OConner Essay example1745 Words   |  7 PagesOConners Analysis: A Good Man is Hard To Find A Displaced Person Through her assortment of unpalatable characters and violent actions, OConnor tries to show grace at work in the world. According to her beliefs Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, has shown that God so loved the world that He became man Himself. Yet this God is not accepted by men, so they have to be shocked into a recognition of their need for Him and the salvation He offers. (MAYER, 1976) In this analysis I will explainRead MoreThe Great Gatsby As A Vampire Analysis919 Words   |  4 Pagesthem more dangerous? Due to popular Gothic literature, vampires are commonly romanticized to be pale bloodsuckers that hide in the dark, waiting for their next meal. This version of a vampire makes them easy to spot in literature, but is also very limiting in that it only lends itself to that specific genre. However, a different version, laid out by Thomas Foster, shows how anyone, whether they be fictional or nonfictional, can be considered a vampire through analysis of certain character traits. OneRead MoreA Rose For Emily And A Good Man Is Hard1756 Words   |à ‚  8 PagesLucas Gray English Literature 7/8/2015 Daniel Hitt Analysis Paper 1 â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† The writing style of southern gothic uses many different techniques such as macabre, ironic events that look at the values of the south. Two writers that are famous for the southern gothic style are William Faulkner and Flannery O’ Conner. Faulkner’s short story â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† depicts a well-rounded woman who is discovered to have a rotting corpse of her husband in herRead MoreThe Life of Edgar Allan Poe1119 Words   |  5 Pagesbelieve his works to be masterpieces. However, one thing that is not up for debate is the fact that Edgar Allan Poe is a literary genius. Edgar Allan Poe, the creator of the ratiocinative story and the amateur sleuth and leading contributor to the gothic genre, is the greatest author of the mid-nineteenth century. According to the author of The Critical Survey of Mystery Detective Fiction, Revised Edition, Charles E. May, Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. Poes