The Palgrave Handbook of the Southern Gothic

This book examines `Southern Gothic' - a term that describes some of the finest works of the American Imagination. But what do `Southern' and `Gothic' mean, and how are they related? Traditionally seen as drawing on the tragedy of slavery and loss, `Southern Gothic' is now a richer, more complex sub [...]
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This book examines `Southern Gothic' - a term that describes some of the finest works of the American Imagination. But what do `Southern' and `Gothic' mean, and how are they related? Traditionally seen as drawing on the tragedy of slavery and loss, `Southern Gothic' is now a richer, more complex subject. Thirty-five distinguished scholars explore the Southern Gothic, under the categories of Poe and his Legacy; Space and Place; Race; Gender and Sexuality; and Monsters and Voodoo. The essays examine slavery and the laws that supported it, and stories of slaves who rebelled and those who escaped. Also present are the often-neglected issues of the Native American presence in the South, socioeconomic class, the distinctions among the several regions of the South, same-sex relationships, and norms of gendered behaviour. This handbook covers not only iconic figures of Southern literature but also other less well-known writers, and examines gothic imagery in film and in contemporary television programmes such as True Blood and True Detective.