Southern Gothic

I had the pleasure of reading Flannery O'Connor's Everything that Rises Must Converge and Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom last year for school.  Both are written in what is known as the Southern Gothic style. Southern Gothic seems to come into existence in the early decades of the 20th century and is very concerned with the predicament of identity in the South.  The South is economically anemic and culturally torn by the issues of civil rights.  Southern civilization has been toppled; Southern Gothic explores the ruins.

I am no expert, but it seems there are some surface parallels I can draw.  First, Southern Gothic makes use of the grotesque, the horrific, the decrepit just as writers within the Gothic tradition do.  Second, Southern Gothic fixates on ruins, both cultural and architectural(see picture).

 Lastly, I would just put in a good word for Flannery O'Connor's short stories. They are short (duh) and great and will give you a better idea of the style of Southern Gothic than I can convey.  Also, I speak as a lifelong northerner, so I certainly invite correction as this is a living literary tradition deeply rooted in southern culture.

here is a link to more picture