Southern Gothic literature builds on the traditions of the larger Gothic genre, typically including supernatural elements, mental disease, and the grotesque. Much Southern Gothic literature, however, eschews the supernatural and deals instead with disturbed personalities. Southern Gothic is known for its damaged and delusional characters, such as the heroines of Tennessee Williams’ plays. Instead of perpetuating romanticized stereotypes of the Antebellum South, Southern Gothic literature often brings the stock characters of melodrama and Gothic novels to a Southern context.
My favourite writer was only born three years before the end of the nineteenth century, so I hope you’ll forgive me for posting it here.
William Faulkner is an American fiction writer whose work is deeply rooted in the Southern United States, particularly in his home state of Mississippi. William Faulkner, who lived from 1897 to 1962, had a unique, stream-of-consciousness writing style and was far more experimental with his texts than many of his fellow writers were. Though relatively unknown for much of his career, Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949. Today, William Faulkner is considered to be one of America’s greatest Southern writers, along with Mark Twain.
Probably his most well-known story is “A Rose for Emily,” which is both romantic and creepy. You can read it online, here.
Hi, I really enjoyed this. How beautifully written it is — and so creepy. It captures so much so concisely. I love Eudora Welty, too. Thanks for posting this. Faulkner certainly fits in the 19th century. And the “action” is rooted there.
Hey, i loved your description of southern style literature as nerdy as that sounds but it fits the description of the story we read in class. Coincidently, that story happens to be “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and i was so elated that you brought it up. Its a beautiful story however demented the characters might be although i am pretty sure it wouldnt be gothic southern style literature if it wasn’t. We are examining the story very thoroughly, which is how i stumbled upon this website, but anyway i just wanted to let you know how much i liked you description of such an important landmark in the world of literature.
Hi Amber, thank you for your comment! I’m glad you liked my post, and that you liked “A Rose for Emily.” It’s definitely one of my favourites, it’s so strange and beautiful.
I really loved this story, it reminds me a bit of ‘Andreas Vesalius the Anatomist’ by Petrus Borel. It makes you wonder if anyone could just slip into a Gothic scenario. The beginning of the story is so ordinary, all the stuff about suitors and taxes, then the twist at the end is almost mediaeval. I agree with your comments on Faulkner’s writing style. It is very human, whereas some of the earlier Gothic writers are rather too formal in their writing style.
very nice………