The People Up The Holler Analysis

The People Up The Holler by Roger L. Guffey is a collection of short stories delineating life in the Deep South. For those non-committal readers wanting a great read without the hang ups of a full novel, this collection would be an exceptional fit. Guffey begins this collection with an acknowledgment to the phenomenon of umwelt, the collective life experiences of a person. Though all the stories deal with different characters and circumstances, these differing narratives are connected by the experiences, or umwelts, of their characters. By including this acknowledgment, Guffey focuses his collection on the individual experiences of his characters. The People Up the Holler invite readers to ponder these experiences and learn from those presented in this collection.

I love short stories, and I was so happy to find an interesting, well-crafted collection such as this. All the stories centered around rural, southern areas and ideas, but still retained their own originality. The People Up The Holler features over 20 short stories with completely realized narratives and themes. Even with all these diverse characters and perspectives, the stories still fit together coherently for an accomplished collection. Though some of the stories didn’t seem to suit the …show more content…
Guffey uses a plethora of diverse narrators but connects all these stories with a common backdrop. Although all the stories occurred in different times and places, they all felt connected by their rich vibrancy. ‘Through A Glass Darkly, Then Face to Face’ is one of my personal favorites from this collection because of it’s interesting, vibrant characters. Guffey takes a new twist on the witch archetype, making the story original yet classic. Moreover, I loved the intricate details Guffey wove into all his stories. Guffey created fully fleshed out environments and settings, complementing his characters beautifully and vitalizing his