From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Southern Gothic is a subgenre of the Gothic writing style, unique to American literature. Like its parent genre, it relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot. Unlike its predecessor, it uses these tools not for the sake of suspense, but to explore social issues and reveal the cultural character of the American South.

The Southern Gothic author usually avoids perpetuating Antebellum stereotypes like the contented slave, the demure Southern belle, the chivalrous gentleman, or the righteous Christian preacher. Instead, the writer takes classic Gothic archetypes, such as the damsel in distress or the heroic knight, and portrays them in a more modern and realistic manner — transforming them into, for example, a spiteful and reclusive spinster, or a white-suited, fan-brandishing lawyer with ulterior motives.

One of the most notable features of the Southern Gothic is "The Grotesque" — this includes situations, places, or stock characters that often possess some cringe-inducing qualities, typically racial bigotry and egotistical self-righteousness — but enough good traits that readers find themselves interested nevertheless. While often disturbing, Southern Gothic authors commonly use deeply flawed, grotesque characters for greater narrative range and more opportunities to highlight unpleasant aspects of Southern culture, without being too literal or appearing to be overly moralistic.

This genre of writing is seen in the work of such famous Southern writers as William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Harry Crews, Lee Smith, Lewis Nordan, Barry Hannah, Carson McCullers, Erskine Caldwell, Eudora Welty, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Cormac McCarthy among others. Tennessee Williams described Southern Gothic as a style that captured "an intuition, of an underlying dreadfulness in modern experience."

Contents 1 Notable works 2 Films 3 Songs 4 Historical incidents 5 See also

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• As I Lay Dying and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner
• Wise Blood and A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor
• Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams
• Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
• The Knockout Artist by Harry Crews
• Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
• Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers

• Sling Blade
• Angel Heart
• The Defiant Ones
• O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• The Green Mile
• A Streetcar Named Desire
• Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
• Eve's Bayou
• The Gift
• The Skeleton Key
• Black Snake Moan
• Wise Blood"

• Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday
• Ode to Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry
• Wendell Gee by R.E.M.
• Southern Anthem by Iron and Wine
• A Good Man is Hard to Find by Sufjan Stevens
• Effigy by Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Fancy by Reba McEntire

• Scottsboro Boys
• Emmet Till
• Leo Frank

• Gothic fiction
• African American literature
• Southern literature
• Southern Renaissance
• "The Grotesque"