Violence In Southern Gothic Literature

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“Those black-eyed peas? They tasted alright to me, Earl you're feeling weak?” Did you know that most country songs like “Goodbye Earl,” by the Dixie Chicks are Southern Gothic Literature? Yes Southern Gothic Literature is found in songs, movies, and books. Southern Gothic Literature has several distinct characteristics, but the most important characteristics are violence, sense of place, and outsider. Violence is one of the most defining characteristics in Southern Gothic Literature. Violence is very dangerous in Southern Gothic Literature because the soldier tried to rape Franky when she was trying to run away. Although, Franky had threaten Bernice with an knife. Not only, she said that she would shoot all them girls with her father’s …show more content…

However, Franky felt like she didn’t fit in the family and town she only felt like that because she couldn’t get in the club with all them girls, and her father really didn’t give Franky any attention. In spite of, Franky also struggle with her family because after her brother get married he goes back in the army, and she doesn't get to see him, and her father is never home all she need is some family loving. Meanwhile Bernice did felt unwanted and not needed, but the soldier felt lonely in the town. Not only, he was in the town for 3 days and nobody had talk to him because nobody didn’t know him. Furthermore, an outsider is a character that is set apart from the established cultural pattern. The most character that was an outsider was Franky, Bernice, and the soldier. Therefore, Franky didn’t feel like she wasn’t part of any club “we”. Bernice is part of the family, but again she’s not part of the family because if they ever move or go somewhere out of the town she can’t go. The soldier didn’t know anybody when he came back in town and he felt unnoticeable because nobody said anything to him at all. In conclusion, violence, a sense of place, characters who are outsiders are what makes part of Southern Gothic Literature. In any type of song or movie it always have Southern Gothic Literature. The song “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks is part of Southern Gothic Literature because