Final Presentation Script

Throughout the summer, I have conducted a thorough survey of the southern gothic movement in an attempt to chart the oppression of minorities through these progressive works. As I previously mentioned during my last presentation, many writers commonly associated with the genre: William Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, Tennessee Williams, Carson McCullers, Flannery O’Connor, and Eudora Welty are publishing the majority of these works from the late 1920’s to the mid 1950’s—well before many substantial civil rights movements. Whether intentional or not, these works represent the first time that a group of predominately white authors are exposing the extreme injustices that many minority groups—such as women, African Americans, and homosexuals—experienced in the south. To say that they were all writing to illuminate the backwards attitudes towards oppressed people would be a grave mistake on my part; however, collectively they were extremely progressive with their gritty, stark, and brutally honest portrayals of marginalized groups.

I would like to reiterate some of the defining characteristics of the southern gothic movement that I mentioned last time. Many times, when the term southern gothic is used, it evokes a variety of different misconceptions. However, at its core, southern gothic literature depicts the crumbling landscape of the post bellum south; it illustrates the horrifying realities of its inhabitants who have lost their way of life and are quickly subjected to change. Borrowing from its Gothic predecessor, the southern gothic movement is also characterized by a heightened sense of reality, grotesque characters, religious hypocrisy, gratuitous violence, and disturbed personalities. However, the southern gothic movement differs immensely from its predecessor in that it does not portray supernatural occurrences; instead, it utilizes the veiled Gothic tradition to explore different social issues that plagued the American South. The movement also represents an evolution in southern literature: southern gothic works did not perpetuate antebellum stereotypes like the “contented slave” or “demure southern belle”; instead they portrayed the truthful realities of minorities in the south.

Last time, I talked about the works of Erskine Caldwell, Richard Wright, and Tennessee Williams in regards to their portrayals of women, African Americans, and homosexuals, respectively. This time, I would like to talk about two female writers who are normally associated with the latter phase of the movement: Carson McCullers and Flannery O’Connor.

Carson McCullers’ fiction is extremely important to my research because throughout each of her works she provides an array of marginalized figures. Most notably, her first published novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, portrays not only oppressed women, African Americans, and homosexuals, but also expands the definition of “the oppressed” to include the disabled, poor whites, and anti-capitalists. Throughout all of McCullers' works, she investigates characters who are deemed freakish and grotesque; these characters do not belong to a larger social group because they are unconventional in their appearances, behaviors, and desires. Two of her most memorable female characters, Mick Kelly and Frankie Adams, represent young androgynous girls who exhibit atypical feminine mannerisms, an affinity for the camaraderie of males, and a strong sense of independence. In relation to other young southern girls, they are completely ostracized because of their unique attributes. Both of these characters are largely autobiographical of Carson McCullers, who, although married, was widely alleged to be bisexual. It is easier to argue that McCullers is writing to expose this oppression because, for her, it is highly personal. Evidence for this lies in her “we of me” theory. Due to her character’s internalized homophobia, they believe that society will never permit, nor allow, any openly expressed homoerotic feelings; therefore, they enter into platonic relationships with others, experiencing a highly spiritual love with these other characters, although the other they might not reciprocate the love. This concept also applies to all of the silenced characters in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter who find solace in the character of John Singer. It’s also important to note that McCullers was very liberal and open-minded; she embraced those who resided in margins, and would argue that grotesque appearances are merely superficial. On the other hand, she would also say that everyone is grotesque; “normal people” harbor their freakishness inwardly and illustrate it through their actions.

Flannery O’Connor’s represents another author who, through her fiction, draws attention to marginalized groups; however, O’Connor, as a conservative Catholic, possesses a completely different viewpoint than McCullers and most of the other writers of the southern gothic movement. Largely prevalent in O’Connor’s fiction is not only the oppression of women, but also the oppression of Christians or the morally upright. The abandoned female is an archetype that O’Connor most notably uses in the characters of Mrs. McIntyre in the short story “The Displaced Person” and Mrs. Cope in “A Circle in the Fire.” Also, the entrance of men into her plots often results in a disastrous and cataclysmic outcome; this is evident in the characters of Manly Pointer in “Good Country People” and Mr. Shiftlet in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own.” Throughout the short stories in the collection A Good Man is Hard to Find, O’Connor argues that men have certain options in their life that women simply do not. Women are left to be resilient in the face of adversity; whereas, men possess the mobility to escape. However, O’Connor sees modernity as the greatest problem facing the south. To her, modernization spells the downfall of a culture of god-fearing and morally decent people. O’Connor believes that progressive changes will lead people to follow secular pursuits. Her outlook is bleak and somewhat apocalyptic; however, it is also important to cite O’Connor’s devotion to Catholicism and her conservative roots. She identifies herself first and foremost as a Catholic, and modernity, to her, is the biggest threat to the future of religion.

Oppressive forces can range from the more naturalistic forces such as gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, and financial disposition to other realistic forces such as religious affiliation, political ideology, and even self-oppression. In southern gothic literature, I would maintain the argument that African Americans receive the most oppression as a minority group because of their legacy as marginalized people and because of their easily recognizable identity. Throughout the works, the white male majority maintains power and legitimacy by creating a distinct out-group. In regards to women and homosexuals, while their options in life are limited, they are not frequently targeted and subjected to the abuse that African Americans experienced. As long as they could endure the status quo, they were rarely subjected to extreme physical abuse. However, punishment and penalty for African Americans usually resulted in death, and their options were far slimmer compared to those of women and homosexuals. However, many of the later southern gothic writers also depicted the oppression of Jewish and European immigrants in the south, as illustrated in O’Connor’s “The Displaced Person." This minority group threatened white male control because they were educated, hardworking, and had the ability to pass: appear white. However, because of this , they fall into the same category as women and homosexuals because of their ability to assimilate and blend, compared with African Americans.

The latter part of the southern gothic movement expanded the definition of oppressed minorities, and exposed many startling realities that these groups experienced through the widely published and circulated novels.

Light in August

Throughout Light in August, Faulkner examines many themes pertinent to my research: the heavy burdens of the past, characters with confused identities, and racism. Many of the main characters—Lena, Joe Christmas, and Hightower—are also, in different ways, isolated from society. Joe’s ambiguous identity torments him, and also robs him of finding any true meaning in his life. Lena remains steadfast in her determination to find the father of her child, despite her naivety and idealistic intentions. Furthermore, Hightower hides from the past by virtually becoming a recluse; he desires something completely different than Joe Christmas.

The past also continually haunts the characters throughout the novel. Joe Christmas’ confusion surrounding his race prevents him from identifying with any group. He seems to be perpetually on the run, moving from white societies that cannot empathize with those of the African American race. Although Christmas is assumed to be black, he has no information confirming that he belongs to that racial group. Likewise, Joanna and Hightower represent two characters whose past continues to define their present status in society. Hightower is not only forever in the shadow of his heroic grandfather, but also continues to dote over his wife’s death. On the other hand, Joanna’s abolitionist past earns her the reputation of an African American sympathizer, which is a trait that Hightower also shares.

Light in August also exposes the oppression of key minorities that I am looking at this summer. Although it is not certain that Joe Christmas is black, he appears different in the eyes of society, and that is enough to subject him to racially motivated abuse. The “one drop” rule seems to be a common theme throughout the works that I have read this summer, and it certainly proves true in this case, also. If a person appeared to be any part black, then they were immediately labeled as African American. The character of Lena also represents the quintessential innocent woman, who is taken advantage of by a man and quickly abandoned. It is also of interest to note the homoeroticism present in the character of Joe Christmas. His relationships with women are highly atypical. Indeed, he seems to result to violence whenever he is patronized.

Bastard Out of Carolina

Through the eyes of its young narrator, Bone, Bastard Out of Carolina examines the relationship between Bone and her mother, Anney, who is caught between protecting her child, and trusting Glen, her lover. What is interesting about their circumstance is that Glen is not Bone’s biological feather; he is her stepfather. From the moment that Glen enters their lives, Bone is quite uncomfortable around him. This tension intensifies as he begins to physically and sexually abuse her. Although Bone despises Glen for taking advantage of her, she realizes that her mother is deeply in love with him. However, Anney is not oblivious to the abuse; she is always quick to initially come to Bone’s rescue, yet she continually justifies Glen’s actions. Because of this, Bone becomes completely confused. Her mother should assume a role as her protector, but she remains with Glen, setting Bone up for further abuse.

Although Bone has a small nuclear family, her extended family is rather large. Throughout the novel, the extended Boatwright family functions as a support system for one another. Although they all face their own respective problems, the Boatwright sisters are not just aunts; they are more like surrogate mothers to Bone. Glen even feels like an outsider to not only the Boatwright family, but also his own. He tries to move Anney and her daughters away from their close family, but it soon becomes clear that they cannot make it own their own. They cannot function without their relatives, who help one another in a multitude of ways: emotionally and financially. However, Anney and Bone seem to long for a typical family, which continually subjects them to further disappointment. Although the Boatwrights are dysfunctional, they are a tight-knit family that stands by one another, even in the most trying of circumstances. In her work, Allison illustrates that a “normal family” does not really exist. Every family—even if they have money—is flawed in some way.

The theme of sexuality is also important throughout Bastard Out of Carolina. In the novel, children, specifically young girls, become aware of their sexuality at a very young age. In fact, Anney even becomes pregnant with Bone when she is only fourteen. However, Bone does not become aware of sex through curiosity; she is introduced to it by Glen, who sexually abuses her before she enters puberty. Bone intensely fears and hates Glen’s actions, which leads her to equate sex with shame. As she ages, she does not become interested in boys or sex; instead, she views sex as a destructive act that drives a wedge between her relationship with her mother.

Bastard Out of Carolina offers interesting insight into the oppression of poor whites and women. The Boatwright clan lives paycheck-to paycheck; they purchase the bare necessities, nothing more. Bone understands that her mother cannot afford to buy her items that she desires, and soon realizes that she stands out in school. Her schoolmates marginalize her by referring to her as “trash” and even a “white nigger.” Despite the limitations that poverty presents, it also causes the Boatwrights to band together as a family. None of them are wealthy, but they offer one another whatever they can spare, which is usually only time and love. Additionally in the novel, women are oppressed by the repercussions of sex. Many of the Boatwright women are introduced to sex at a young, and, shortly after, become pregnant. In Anney’s case, she cannot even recall the father of Bone. Bastard Out of Carolina portrays men as opposing figures to women. In the novel, they are abusive, sexually domineering, un-trustworthy, and prone to irrational actions. Allison illustrates that women are yoked to their children in ways that men are not. They not only endure pregnancy, but also invest more into rearing the child. A man’s responsibility is to provide guidance, support, and love; however, the novel portrays a crew of male characters who fail to deliver in those departments.

Beloved

How far are you willing to go to protect your loved ones? Would you be able to kill someone who could potentially harm others, or would you be willing to sacrifice your life in order to save someone else? Would you murder your own children to protect them from a brutal life of slavery? In Beloved by Toni Morrison, she illustrates how a mother’s love would lead her to kill her own child, rather than lose her to a life of complete injustice: slavery. It is clear that the murder of Sethe’s daughter was committed as a preventive measure—out of love for her innocent child, but does Sethe love her children too much? Is she too attached to them? To some of the other characters, Baby Suggs and Paul D especially, a slave should never become too close to her children. In their eyes, it simply sets someone up for a life of torment and utter anguish.

Morrison focuses on the power of memory throughout the novel, and how the remembrance of a buried memory, or “rememory”, can be as traumatizing as the actual event. At the beginning of the novel, Sethe has managed to hide her memories of slavery, her escape, the brief period of peace in Cincinnati, and the event that led to her daughter’s death. To her, they are all better off forgotten. However, with the reentrance of Paul D into her life, Sethe’s memory jumps back to the old memories that she had with Paul D, ones that she tried to forget. Sethe learns that she has not escaped her past, and the emergence of the physical manifestation of her dead daughter’s spirit, Beloved, confirms the fact. Despite her actions, Sethe will continually be plagued by her past; it is as much a part of her as the present. Yet, especially at the end of the novel, both the group of women and Paul D try to convince her that she is not defined by it.

The notion of community is also important throughout Beloved. At the beginning of the novel, Sethe and Denver do not share any sense of community with the outside world. The only community that they know is the one that they comprise at 124 with the ghost of Sethe’s dead daughter. Although Sethe is able to manage, Denver is confined to a life of perpetual boredom. The African American community in Cincinnati ostracizes the residents of 124 soon after Sethe murders her daughter; however, in the years thereafter, Sethe remains too proud to accept help from anyone else. This can be attributed, in part, to the community failing to warn Sethe of Schoolteacher's return; however, the community eventually comes together to exorcise the spirit of Beloved, and offer their friendship to Sethe; they are finally willing to concede that she is enduring a memory that they helped to create. Denver accepts help from the community, and experiences catharsis by confiding in them; however, Sethe still struggles to come to terms with the past.

Out of all the novels I have read this summer, Beloved is probably the most Gothic of them all. In fact, I think that its safe to argue that it evolves more in the Gothic tradition, than the southern gothic tradition. Morrison uses supernatural occurrences, like the character of Beloved, to illustrate the power of the past. Beloved is an apparition of Sethe’s murdered daughter, who inhabits a human body, and mysteriously shows up outside of 124. She has intense psychological control over everyone at 124; they are all, in different ways, enslaved to her presence. A ghost assumed to be Beloved, as well, also haunts the house that Sethe and Denver inhabit. Additionally important is the theme of gratuitous violence. After the Garner’s die, Sethe is raped, whipped, and robbed of her milk. Similarly, Paul D endures much abuse on the chain gang, in addition to the labor-intensive tasks that he must complete. Death and murder are also prevalent in the novel: Sixo is lynched and Sethe murders her daughter, and attempts to murder all her children before she is stopped. Slavery also has a dehumanizing effect on the characters that leads to psychological torment, specifically in the character of Halle, who goes mad upon witnessing the abuse of his wife.

Beloved is an insightful look into the traumatizing effects that the institution of slavery had on African Americans. Morrison captures the anguish of her characters who might have physically escaped slavery, yet remain enslaved to the memory of the injustices associated with the institution. It is also important to note that there were no safe havens for slaves. As in Sethe’s case, their former masters would often travel great lengths and offer rewards for their return. Paul D and Halle were worked tirelessly for economic gain; whereas, Sethe was physically taken advantage of because of her gender. Although slavery on the Garner estate was atypical, slavery is slavery, and it forever scars those subjected to it, regardless of the degree.

The Color Purple

It seems that there is always strength in numbers; however, Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning epistolary novel, The Color Purple, claims that strength is also found in community, and through embracing your own identity. Although the novel portrays some strong female characters, they realize that their fight is not only an individual one; it is collective. Throughout the novel, the female characters band together not only to protect one another, but also to inspire each other to stand up for themselves, even if it means defying conventional ideals. Their methods echo the feminist sentiment that together women are warriors capable of anything. Although Shug and Sofia take their stand from the beginning of the novel, Celie’s evolution in character comes a bit later. Her character’s journey exposes the abuse and neglect that she has put up with for far too long, and, with the help of her female friends, she is able to finally embrace her gender, skin color, and sexuality.

Although the work is set in Georgia during the 1930’s, the issue of sexism, rather than racism, is more pronounced in the work. This is probably attributed to the fact that there are no major Caucasian characters in the novel. The only scene that illustrates race relations is when the Mayor slaps Sofia for telling him “hell no.” Walker does introduce us to the hard field labor that African Americans had to perform; however, The Color Purple pays more attention to the marginalization associated with not only being African American, but also being an African American woman. It is clear that, with the exception of Samuel, all of the other male characters cause great degrees of physical and psychological abuse to the women in the novel. Despite their subordinate status as African Americans in the South, they are not united together; instead, the male characters in novel, feel the need to control their women by force, a tactic that alienates both genders from one another.

Another point that the novel makes is that marginalized figures, like Celie, have no voice in the world. In Celie’s case, she is victimized by a father figure that is suppose to protect her, forced to part with her beloved sister, and given to a man that she does not love. Throughout the novel, Celie is victimized so much that she continues to endure further abuse. Her story parallels that of many African American women who endured injustice, after injustice. However, through the influence of others, Celie does manage to find her own voice.

Walker also portrays characters with nontraditional gender roles. Sofia and Shug represent two atypical African American women: they speak their mind, stand up to male figures, and control their own lives. They serve as foils to Celie, but also as catalysts who illustrate an independence that is within her reach. Shug is also sexually assertive, which leads many in society to label her as a harlot. However, she also influences Celie to embrace her own sexuality, body, and desires. Conversely, Harpo is portrayed as weak and insecure. He tries to make up for it by beating Sofia, but she refuses to put up with abuse, and leaves him.

The Color Purple also possesses an array of Gothic elements. Female directed violence is extremely pronounced throughout the work; it further marginalizes them by creating a scenario void of trust, and full of fear. Additionally, Celie’s presumed father commits incest by raping her multiple times, which results in Celie giving birth to two children. The repression that African Americans felt at the time also seems to also have a psychological effect on the male characters in the novel, who attempt to take out their frustration by further subordinating their female counterparts. However, although Celie believes that her sister, Nettie, is dead throughout most of the novel, she still has an intense connection with the ghost of her sister. Celie, no matter what, always seems to find solace in the memory of Nettie.

A Good Man is Hard to Find

Flannery O’Connor’s collection of short stories, A Good Man is Hard to Find, contains some of the most violent and startling, yet extremely humorous works. Throughout these short stories, O’Connor’s outlook on the future of the south quickly becomes apparent, and it’s pretty bleak—borderline apocalyptic. O’Connor feels that modernization represents the biggest problem facing the South. As a conservative Catholic, she believes that modernity will result in people turning their back on religion in order to follow secular pursuits. Due to the rise of industry, people will also become reliant on modern conveniences, forgetting a way of life that was hard, but kept them grounded. It seems that whenever an outsider from the city enters the plot—such as the Misfit, Mr. Shiftlet, Powell Byrd, and Manly Pointer—disaster is bound to shortly ensue. In the “Artificial Nigger”, Nelson's visit to Atlanta is so cataclysmic that it leads him to state “glad I've went once, but I'll never going back again.” I think O’Connor would probably agree.

The crew of characters in O’Connor’s short stories are both grotesque in their appearance and their actions. O’Connor shows no mercy in her characters: they are vile, shameless, and truly capable of anything. Indeed, O’Connor would say that the majority of her characters are grotesque on the outside, as well as the inside. In “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” Mr. Shiftlet is armless, a trait that evokes empathy from Lucynell Crater; however, despite her belief that a man without an arm would be extremely grateful for anything, he still manages to do the unthinkable: abandon her mildly retarded daughter in a sketchy bar.

Another point that struck me is that in other southern gothic works, those who cling to religion are often exposed as extremely hypocritical. However, O’Connor argues that, despite our flawed nature, we all desire mercy and redemption from a higher authority. Although her characters commit some truly heinous transgressions, they are still deserving of the same salvation available to the morally upright. In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, the Misfit commits the cold-blooded murder of the Grandmother, yet she offers him grace in the face of death. Likewise, in “A Temple of the Holy Ghost”, the child finds redemption from her cynicism in church, realizing that the supernatural and reality are intertwined.

Throughout her short stories, there are also a few other Gothic themes. Death is certainly no stranger to O’Connor’s short stories. Indeed, she juxtaposes violent murders next to naturalistic causes throughout her collection in order to remind us of the unpredictability of life. Violence also heavily factors into her short stories, and usually it is at the hands of transient men: the Misfit, Mr. Shiftlet, Powell Byrd, and Manly Pointer. Also, in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”, “The Displaced Person”, and “A Circle in the Fire”, O’Connor portrays crumbling farms that have become a vestige of their former prime.

Strong female characters also seem to pervade O’Connor’s work; she portrays women that have endured a lot of strife, yet have not given up. The characters of Mrs. Cope, Lucynell Crater, and Mrs. McIntyre represent a group of abandoned women that are left to run estates. Through these characters O’Connor points out that men have a greater mobility in life than women. Women have very few options outside of running the home, and O’Connor captures a feminine endurance in her characters, while drawing attention to the host of options that men possess. In “A Stroke of Good Fortune”, Ruby Hill is also of importance because she represents a “new southern women.” She views pregnancy as entrapment, which is pretty unconventional for a young southern woman. However, she does run into the moral dilemma: when do you stop living your own life, and devote your life to something greater than yourself. Also extremely pertinent to my research is the short story “The Displace Person.” It is important not only because of its portrayal of blacks, but also of immigrants. The concept of racial subordination is something that the family of immigrants cannot understand, which is evident when interracial marriage is discussed, much to the chagrin of Mrs. McIntyre. However, the family of immigrants soon become an economic threat to Mrs. McIntyre, and, since they are foreigners, she does not think it is acceptable for them to have more money. “The Displaced Person” provides a good look into race relations, and seems to argue that people are willing to go only so far to help out others.

A Curtain of Green

Eudora Welty’s collection of short stories, A Curtain of Green, examines her home state, Mississippi, through the eyes of its own people. Welty crafts her short stories to portray both the stark realities of Mississippi, and the comedy that pervades the ordinary lives of its citizens. However, Welty also infuses elements of horror into these works that are quite reminiscent of Poe; madness and violence are two common themes found throughout the collection. Additionally, she examines the state of race relations, sexual repression, and the slowly changing social roles of women in the South. Despite some of the shortcomings of her region, Welty seems to view Mississippi as a mystical and somewhat magical place, where the most mundane of tasks can turn into a fascinating experience.

Throughout most of the short stories, Welty uses dark, foreboding settings to create a mood that has frightening undercurrents. She not only uses the quintessential dilapidated house, but also utilizes barren fields and unchartered roads as the setting for her works. In “Death of A Traveling Salesman” the unknown road reinforces the theme of loneliness; whereas the landscape of “A Worn Path” presents Phoenix Jackson with a terrifying array of obstacles that she most overcome in order to get medicine for her grandson. In my mind, Welty is a master at establishing the mood through the distinct idiosyncrasies of her settings.

Welty’s short stories also capture the oppressive forces that marginalize minorities, especially women, throughout the South. “The Petrified Man” captures the sexual tension of women, which undoubtedly takes its toll on its female characters who have no outlet to express their frustration. “A Curtain of Green” and “Clytie” also represent two short stories that portray an overwhelming sense of madness that overtakes women left to manage a household; their fear and lack of companionship manifests in derangement. However, “A Worn Path” captures the frustration of Phoenix Jackson, an older African American woman, who embarks on a tumultuous journey out of the deep love that she feels for her grandson. A dog, heavy brush, a man with a gun, and her old age all deter her from her goal; however, she endures these hardships out of the devotion that she has for her loved one. In the same vein as O’Connor, Welty portrays women characters who have experienced much strife, yet still manage to keep going.