ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Southern Gothic literature is a genre of Southern writing that focuses on the grotesque. It may contain some supernatural elements, but often more realistic flawed characters and settings. The genre was inspired by Gothic writing, which began in the 19th century with Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Detailed explanation-2: -Southern Gothic is a mode or genre prevalent in literature from the early 19th century to this day. Characteristics of Southern Gothic include the presence of irrational, horrific, and transgressive thoughts, desires, and impulses; grotesque characters; dark humor, and an overall angst-ridden sense of alienation.

Detailed explanation-3: -That’s why Gothic literature of the South is replete with elements of that grotesqueness. The writers of this genre highlighted the South’s history of slavery, racism, violence, and the fear of the outside world. Their main purpose was to expose the prevailing social issues and explore the question of moral integrity.

Detailed explanation-4: -This genre is dark, eerie, and mysterious, often containing elements of terror, horror, and the macabre and the bizarre. Common themes and motifs of the Gothic include power, confinement, and isolation.

Detailed explanation-5: -isolation and marginalization. violence and crime. sense of place. freakishness and the grotesque. destitution and decay. oppression and discrimination.