Southern Literature

A distinct type of American Literature.

Written by authors who were born in or spent most of

their lives in the South.

Tells us what the author perceived life to be like, or
would have liked life to be like.
The qualities that distinguish Southern Literature
from the rest of American Literature is primarily the
cultural differences from other parts of the country,
mainly the North.

Southern Writers
Strong sense of history
Strong sense of belonging to a place
Where he/she comes from is of great importance.
A religious base
There is a feeling about moral absolutes that run
through the novel.
Language that is rich and ornamental
A belief in the importance of the community
In many southern novels, the people tend to get
measured by their relationship to the community.

Common Southern Literature Themes

Racism
The Conservative Culture
The significance of family, religion, and community in
ones life.
A sense of social class and place
Persistence of the past
Importance of ritual
Exploration of character

Everything in Literature Happens for a Reason!

Genres
Fiction (Not Real)

Non-Fiction (Real)

Drama
Poetry

Essays

Fairy Tales
Short Story

Biography
Autobiography

Realistic Fiction

Speeches

Historical Fiction
Novels

The Narrator (Point of View)

The lens through which

a reader views a story.

Point of view is the way
the author allows you to
see and hear whats
going on.
See handout on Point of
View.

The Setting
Where the story takes place is of great importance to
understanding a novel.
The setting is where the novel takes place.
It may include historical background, time, local color.

Local color is characteristics that set the place apart from

other places.
The author doesnt always state the setting of a novel, instead
they provide details describing the location and/or time period.
This allows a reader to paint a picture in their mind. (The use of
imagery or sensory details.)

Characters
Static/Flat Characters
Characters that do not change throughout the novel.
Usually minor characters
Dynamic/Round Characters
Characters will undergo some kind of change in the
course of the story.
Usually major characters

Plot

(definition)

Plot is the organized

pattern or sequence
of events that make
up a story. Every plot
is made up of a series
of incidents that are
related to one
another.

Plot Diagram
3

2
1

4
5

1. Exposition
This usually occurs at the beginning of a novel. Here

the characters are introduced. We also learn about

the setting of the story. Most importantly, we are
introduced to the main conflict (main problem).

Conflict
The dramatic struggle

between two forces in a

story .
Without conflict, there
is no plot.

Types of Conflict
Internal

External

A struggle that takes place in

a characters mind.

A struggle between a
character and an outside
force.

Character vs. Self

Character vs. Character

Character vs. Society
Character vs. Nature

2. Rising Action
This part of the story begins to
develop the conflict(s). A building
of interest or suspense occurs.

3. Climax
This is the turning point of the story. Usually the

main character comes face to face with a conflict.

The main character will change in some way.

4. Falling Action
All loose ends
of the plot are
tied up. The
conflict(s) and
climax are taken
care of.

5. Resolution
The story
comes to a
reasonable
ending.

Theme
A theme is a main idea, moral, or message portrayed

throughout a novel.
Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas.
There will be many themes in a novel.