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Southern Gothic Elements In A Good Man Is Hard To Find

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The traditions of the southern gothic genre helped shape American literature because it helps to exemplify the moral blindness of the south. The traits of southern gothic literature are macabre situations and disturbed personalities. Southern gothic literatures traits are clearly portrayed in the stories through the characters.
“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor is about how a self righteous grandmother and her family go on a road trip, only to be killed by a man the grandmother says is a good man. The three traits of southern gothic literature exemplified in this story are, being an outsider, disturbed personalities, and good versus evil. The Misfit, the man who killed grandmother and her family, says that he didn't belong in jail because he didn't know why he was there, until the doctor told him. He says that he was different …show more content…
The townspeople saw him go in, but never come back out. The three traits of southern gothic literature found in this story are, social class, macabre situations, and unrequited love. The quote, “We really must do something about it, Judge. I’d be the last one to bother Miss Emily, but we’ve got to do something.” demonstrates how social class influences the characters in the story. None of the townspeople, including the judge, wanted to bother her, because she is a respected woman in the town, because of her grandfather who helped found the town. After her funeral the found Homer's body in the room and they said, “Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it… we saw a long strand of iron-ray hair.” They were surprised by this because they never thought that someone like Miss Emily would ever kill someone. Miss Emily loved Homer but he just wanted her on the side, he didn't want to get married. This shows unrequited

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