Argumentative Essay On Southern Gothic Literature

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Southern Gothic Evaluative Essay Southern Gothic literature is a subgenre of gothic literature found in American literature. Common characteristics that exist in this genre include characters that are outsiders and have a level of freakishness about them. Also, these types of stories take place in the south and display grotesque conflicts and some type of violence. The short story, A Rose for Emily, is classified as a southern gothic read. The story tells of an old woman who is referenced to as Miss Emily. It is presented by an unknown narrator who seems to be a citizen of the town Jefferson in which Emily lives. In the story Emily loses her father and lives a very dark life. The town is intrigued by her, but would much rather leave her be. Miss Emily finds a love…show more content…
Miss Emily is an older woman, which is not particularly someone most people would see as violent. She meets a love interest by the name of Homer Barron. Barron and Emily go on carriage rides through the park routinely. When Emily finds out that Barron is not as serious about their union as she is, she takes it amongst herself to purchase poison that happens to be labeled “For Rats.” What we then see is an example within an example. Southern gothic characters usually posses some type of characteristic that makes them dark and sick- minded. Emily is full of her “sickness” enough to the point the she thinks that it is okay for her to take someone’s life because they do not want to be with her. Taking a person’s life is to be considered very violent, and death is gruesome and grotesque. Miss Emily poisons Homer with the rat poisoning and it is implied that she has relationship with Homer that is of necrophilia. Miss Emily’s hair was found on a pillow lying next to Homer Barron’s corpse. This type of activity is also seen as obscure or just not normal human
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