Literary Context: Southern Literature

       Throughout my research on Southern Literature, I found the most interesting information to be on its evolution throughout history. While Southern Literature, itself, is a generalized grouping of literary works, the distinction of the eras provides a more developed background on novels of this category. For my presentation, I was able to learn and identify each of the eras (early Southern Literature, Antebellum (The Plantation Era), Post-Antebellum (The Post War Era), Renaissance, and the Post-Modern Era), and along with that find novels are associated with each era. For example, during the Antebellum period Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin was published, while Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in the Post-Antebellum period. The value, in knowing which period the novels were published in, comes from gaining knowledge about the historical context during the time each novel was published. And having that information I found the most valuable throughout my research.
        The information I discovered on Southern Literature directly correlates with the Flannery O'Connor "Good Country People." For a novel to be considered to be Southern Literature, it must contain be written by a Southern author or set in the region, and needs to have characteristics such as religion, social hierarchy, racial issues, and among others. O'Connor's short story follows all of the criteria. It is by a Southern author, set in the South, and has themes of religion and social hierarchy. These qualities deepen the reading by adding to the characters perspective and that of the audience. For example, the view of religion and social hierarchy from character Joy/ Hulga shows readers her perspective as an educated Southern woman, in contrast to her mother a traditional Southern woman. Altogether the combination of characteristics that make the story a part of Southern Literature add to the readers of understanding.
       In O'Connor's "Good Country People," religion establishes the story as Southern Literature by commenting on hypocrisy of the Christians. Upon learning that the Bible Salesman isn't a devote Christian man, Joy/Hulga says, "You're a Christian!. . .You're a fine Christian! You are just like them all- you say one thing and do another. You're a perfect Christian. . ." (1353). While she, herself, "is an atheist" (1345), her traditional Southern upbringing from her mother prompts her to view Christians as true and honest people. Yet highly educated-self recognizes that Christians aren't all holier than thou as much as they try to be. The story, likely set in the 1950's, further reflects the changes in society and culture during the Post-Modern Era. (In which case Christians were both recognized for their goodness and their hypocrisy.) O'Connor's short story uses the qualities of Southern Literature to showcase the view of religion from the perspective of an atheist and highly education Southern woman.
     
Works Cited for Presentation and Blog Post

Baym, Nina, gen. ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 2.

New York: Norton, 2012. Print.

Rubin, Louis D. "Southern Literature and Southern Society." Short Story Criticism, edited by Margaret Haerens, vol. 23, Gale, 1996. Short Story Criticism Online, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LCO&sw=w&u=cicctr&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CQLSBUF332420219&it=r. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017. Originally published in Southern Literary Study: Problems and Possibilities, edited by Louis D. Rubin, Jr. and C. Hugh Holman, University of North Carolina Press, 1975, pp. 3-20.

Gray, Richard. "Aftermath: Southern Literature Since World War II." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Daniel G. Marowski and Roger Matuz, vol. 38, Gale, 1986. Contemporary Literary Criticism Online, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=LCO&sw=w&u=cicctr&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CFBAVNW653675999&it=r. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017. Originally published in The Literature of Memory: Modern Writers of the American South, by Richard Gray, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1977, pp. 257-305.

"Southern United States Literature." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Mar. 2017. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_United_States_literature>.

MacKethan Lucinda. "Genres of Southern Literature." Sevaa. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <https://southernspaces.org/2004/genres-southern-literature>.

YourDictionary. "What Are Some Interesting Facts About Mark Twain?" YourDictionary. N.p., 05 May 2016. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <http://biography.yourdictionary.com/articles/facts-about-mark-twain.html>.

"Flannery O'Connor." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Mar. 2017. Web. 21 Mar. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannery_O'Connor>.