Southern Gothicism

Southern Gothicism is a Literary Genre I hold close to my heart, since I myself live in Georgia. In this domain, the american south is darkly romantic, tragic, dramatic, and anything you'd suspect from typical Gothic Literature. It's very similar to Gothic literature in the fact that they both incorporate grotesque characters, the supernatural, isolation, lots of irony, and social criticisms. Southern Gothic works often criticize and reveal issues like racism and hypocrisy, which were all, and still are, prevalent here (and pretty much anywhere else, really).

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Some Southern Gothic Authors:
Flannery O'Connor:

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Flannery O'Connor is definitely one of my all time favorite authors. She was born in Savannah in 1925 to a Catholic family. At that time, Catholics were not common in this region. Her religion has a big influence in her writing in that she points out the religious hypocrisy of our region. She also She is a very skilled writer, and she is very witty in her writing.
[Here] is a link to one of my favorite stories from her, "Good Country People."

Carson McCullers:

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Carson McCullers is also an Author from Georgia. She was born in Columbus, Georgia in 1917. She moved around a lot during her life, but her rural Georgia setting was always an influence in her work. She was a pianist, bi-sexual, and suffered from alcoholism. She work often portrays southern outcasts.
[Here] is a link to an excerpt from her novella, "Ballad of a Sad Cafe."

William Faulkner:

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William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi in 1897. He was a diversified writer, but he was best known for his fiction. He received two Nobel prizes for literature. Many people even regard him as a genius.
[Here] are some quotes from "As I Lay Dying."

Get reading everyone! I hope you enjoy.

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Bats in the Belfry, Cats in the Attic

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