Southern Gothic Fiction

Sean Tinsley Eng 151C-33 3/08/2013 grey Gothic Fiction is a genre of books unique to the American south. Major influences of the genre itself were the elaboration, religion, and economic standing of the south at the commencement of the 20th century. Many who read grey knightly atomic number 18 transported into a grotesque fantasy world where judgements of death, good versus bad, and god are tot onlyy prevalent. Many American authors were greatly influenced by the ideas of southern gothic literature such as Harper Lee, Flannery OConnorWilliam Faulkner, Tru domain Capote, and to a lesser extent, Eudora Welty. (jenksps. org) The culture of the south is riddled with strong beliefs in different sects of Christianity mainly Presbyterians and Baptists with a passionate group of Evangelicals as well. Because perfection plays a large theatrical role in most southern gothic literature, the idea of morality is in addition of great importance. Many protagonists will be juxtaposed b y a moral less antagonist usually the epitome of hatred. Along with that comes the idea of a crumbling landscape desolate almost. I believe this represents how the south was seek economically at the time due to the crumbling of the antebellum era. jenksps. org) For this essay, I chose to psychoanalyze This Is the that Time Ill Tell It by Doris Betts. This story hits all the main topics of southern gothic literature the idea of death or the grotesque, the concept of good versus bad, and God as well. The concept of good versus evil drives the overall moral of the short-circuit story This Is the Only Time Ill Tell It. In fact, this theme provides the first instance of conflict. The narrator, a man by the last name of Coney, describes to the reader a woman, Zelene, who noniced a disturbance at the Jamison household.Upon further investigation she noticed Tom Jamison try to drown his niner month old deflower girl. Fortunately, she saved the muck up and when she had brought back breath and screams, Zelene opened her clothes and fixed that naked baby flat against her naked breasts andran yelling into my store. (Christ Haunted Landscape, 232) Shortly at that placeafter, Zelene grabs one of Mr. Coleys axes of his shelf and simply states, Im going back and pull galvanic pile himTom Jamison. (Christ Haunted Landscape, 233) Mr.Coley made no objection to her claim, and when she didnt find him, he noted the other 20 townspeople who had been heard to declare it was a shame Zelene had not drove home her ax. (Christ Haunted Landscape, 233) The interesting get down on good versus evil shows itself in the characters response to unspeakable aversion. both the townspeople were upset Tom Jamison hadnt been viciously strikeed. The attitude of the characters towards him, including Mr. Coley, discharge violate them throughout the remainder of the story ultimately culminating in Mr.Coley cleansing Tom Jamison with an ax upon his return to the store the irony being t hat it was inside the store when Zelene first said she would kill him. Because the justice for the unspeakable crime of attempted murder on a baby was carried out by a normal citizen, this speaks highly for the overall theme. Although other elements of southern gothic fiction are prevalent in This Is the Only Time Ill Tell It, good versus evil, and, more importantly, how evil should be treated, is the engine that drives this story. God, the union or divisive factor in the south, also plays a huge role in the story.More importantly, the difference between what is deemed moral in Gods eyes, and what the characters perceive as justifiable sin. Mr. Coley mentions the towns underground to telling the truth about the next of kin. But we had 37 lifespan Presbyterian mouths gone flat against their teeth until judgment day(Christ Haunted Landscape, 233). The route a person believes in God is also important in this short story. For Mr. Coley, Baptists are a bit weaker than his people, Pres byterians. My wifes people, Baptists, are a lot more soft-headed one of them would have read his Commandments wrong and weakened someday. (Christ Haunted Landscape, 233). There were many grotesque and macabre aspects of this short story as well. For example, the first point of conflict deals with the attempted murder of a nine month old baby. Secondly, the way Tom Jamison was murdered, brutally by ax, would churn most peoples stomachs. Also, a legal point could be made that Zelene is grotesque. She is described as pitiable herself. She was 38, and make like a salt block. (The Christ Haunted Landscape, 233). She was not entirely attractive, by any means, and she lived in relative squalor compared to the rest of the townspeople. This is The Only Time Ill Tell It is a perfect example of southern gothic literature. First of all, the overall theme of the story was good versus evil, and what should be done about it. Secondly, the aspect of what should be done with evil is connect dire ctly to the characters views on God, and the morals theyve received from Him. Last but not least, it was overall creepy. To imagine a man trying to kill his nine month baby is enough to put fear into anyones heart. Although there are frightening parts to it, the story does a good contrast of making the reader ask themselves what they would do in Mr.Coleys position. The solving to that problem also relates directly to the audiences religious views. some(prenominal) God they may believe in, good versus evil is always prevalent, and that is wherefore this story connects with many people. So, what would you do? Would you strike a man down for a crime that happened over 16 years earlier? Could you? These questions farm intrigue in the reader, which is why this short story is so customary today. http//www. jenksps. org/pages/uploaded_files/CAMPsouthern%20gothic%20elements. pdf The Christ Haunted Landscape