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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 Biography
Short Story Autobiography
Realistic Fiction Speeches
Historical Fiction
Novels
The Narrator (Point
of
The View)
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

4
2
1
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 A struggle between a
takes place in a character and an
characters mind. 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.

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