(general statement about social standards based on color) Inspired by the early Gothic writing of eighteenth century England-a form of writing with the sole purpose to expose societal issues,- the Southern Gothic highlights the plights prevalent in the southern regions of America. (not smooth) To augment the attention that is brought to the social inequities, authors would explore the behaviors of characters and the social order of the time. Harper Lee is an excellent example of this type of author. She accurately depicted a southern town by utilizing her life experience. The result of her childhood is recorded in a semi-autobiographical novel To Kill a Mockingbird. This novel contains many Southern Gothic elements, including the grotesque,
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Maurice Levy, a collector of French Gothic works and a Gothic scholar, “finds that architecture is the key to the Gothic, embodying shadow, antiquity, mystery and ruin, and acting as repositories of the past and of institutions” (Johnson 42). Southern Gothic architecture typically includes mystery, imprisonment, ruins, or cultural decay (Johnson 40). A primary instance is the Radley house. Implementing the element of mystery, Lee develops a setting that the children are scared of as well as establishes a ghost like character, Arthur Radley, who is called “Boo” by the children. This idea is elucidated when the reader discovers that the children believe “Radley pecans would kill you. A baseball hit into the Radley yard was a lost ball and no questions asked” (Lee 9). The house itself is dark and seems to be falling apart in a manner that could be considered decaying. In addition to the mysterious aspects, “Tom Robinson is imprisoned in various jails,” reflecting his lawful detainment and imprisonment to social injustice (Johnson 50). Imprisonment is a crucial component to Southern Gothicism because it involves a criminal of some sort; therefore, immorality is provided with which the author can satirize or analyze. Lastly, the courthouse exemplifies cultural decay and acts as a repository of the past. Johnson says that “Its ancient outsized pillars are symbols of the antebellum South” …show more content…
Even though To Kill a Mockingbird is not an average Southern Gothic, it can be characterized as one based on its literary elements. One before-mentioned trait is the murder characteristic which is introduced when Bob Ewell attempts to kill Scout and Jem. Moreover, Boo Radley is often portrayed as a ghost or monster from the children and town: “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch” (Lee 13). The ghostly image of Boo invokes a sense of isolation. Through the mystery of Boo, Lee explores the issue of discrimination, especially when the discrimination takes place without prior knowledge. A third component is an imprisonment. Tom Robinson is imprisoned literally and symbolically. (maybe explain the symbolic part?) Continuing to add more elements, Lee describes a few buildings such as the Radley house and courthouse as ruined or falling apart. On a similar note, she calls attention to the motif of deformities. Tom Robinson’s arm is crippled, providing an explicit model of deformity in the narrative. Representing immoral social institutions is a mad dog standing in the street. By shooting the dog, Atticus symbolically stands up to the injustices of the time. This is an essential aspect due to the message that Harper Lee was attempting to convey when she took a stand in the Civil Rights Movement by publishing this
Maurice Levy, a collector of French Gothic works and a Gothic scholar, “finds that architecture is the key to the Gothic, embodying shadow, antiquity, mystery and ruin, and acting as repositories of the past and of institutions” (Johnson 42). Southern Gothic architecture typically includes mystery, imprisonment, ruins, or cultural decay (Johnson 40). A primary instance is the Radley house. Implementing the element of mystery, Lee develops a setting that the children are scared of as well as establishes a ghost like character, Arthur Radley, who is called “Boo” by the children. This idea is elucidated when the reader discovers that the children believe “Radley pecans would kill you. A baseball hit into the Radley yard was a lost ball and no questions asked” (Lee 9). The house itself is dark and seems to be falling apart in a manner that could be considered decaying. In addition to the mysterious aspects, “Tom Robinson is imprisoned in various jails,” reflecting his lawful detainment and imprisonment to social injustice (Johnson 50). Imprisonment is a crucial component to Southern Gothicism because it involves a criminal of some sort; therefore, immorality is provided with which the author can satirize or analyze. Lastly, the courthouse exemplifies cultural decay and acts as a repository of the past. Johnson says that “Its ancient outsized pillars are symbols of the antebellum South” …show more content…
Even though To Kill a Mockingbird is not an average Southern Gothic, it can be characterized as one based on its literary elements. One before-mentioned trait is the murder characteristic which is introduced when Bob Ewell attempts to kill Scout and Jem. Moreover, Boo Radley is often portrayed as a ghost or monster from the children and town: “Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch” (Lee 13). The ghostly image of Boo invokes a sense of isolation. Through the mystery of Boo, Lee explores the issue of discrimination, especially when the discrimination takes place without prior knowledge. A third component is an imprisonment. Tom Robinson is imprisoned literally and symbolically. (maybe explain the symbolic part?) Continuing to add more elements, Lee describes a few buildings such as the Radley house and courthouse as ruined or falling apart. On a similar note, she calls attention to the motif of deformities. Tom Robinson’s arm is crippled, providing an explicit model of deformity in the narrative. Representing immoral social institutions is a mad dog standing in the street. By shooting the dog, Atticus symbolically stands up to the injustices of the time. This is an essential aspect due to the message that Harper Lee was attempting to convey when she took a stand in the Civil Rights Movement by publishing this