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Romanticism- Romanticism was a literary movement that centered around themes of nature, human nature, and past. It served as a contrasting style of writing when compared to Classicism, a form of writing that existed previous to Romanticism, which included themes of balance, clarity, and order.

Gothic Romanticism is a genre, similar to Romanticism, that not only incorporates values of nature, human nature, and past into its plot, but also uses mysterious, dark, and supernatural events to create a feeling of suspense. Gothic Romanticism, like Romanticism, was a revolt against Classicism.

Southern Gothic Romanticism- Southern Gothic Romanticism is a sub-genre to Romanticism. It still holds the common values of nature, human nature, and past seen in Romanticism; but it also includes the addition of a Southern American setting. Other characteristics of Southern Gothic Romanticism are ironic events; themes of violence, imprisonment, freakishness, and sense of place; ironic or unusual events; and the grotesque.

Washington Irving- Washington Irving was the author of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", a famous Halloween story which, ironically, was written before Halloween existed.

Edgar Allen Poe- Edgar Allen Poe, known as the Father of Gothic Romanticism, is the author of the Gothic Romanticism short stories and poems, "The Masque of the Red Death", "The Fall of the House of Usher", and "The Raven".

Charles Baudelaire- the European Author of the Gothic Romantic poem, "Spleen",  a poem through which he describes a process of depression followed by insanity.

Nathanial Hawthorne- Nathanial Hawthorne was the Romantic author of "The Scarlet Letter" and "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment". Through these works he criticizes the human nature of hypocrisy and taking what is given for granted.

Flannery O'Connor- Flannery O'Connor, the author of "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find," is a writer famous for her ironic Gothic Romanticism short stories. Through her short stories, though there are many translations of her stories that can be created, she stresses the faults found in mankind, such as selfishness and hypocrisy.

William Faulkner- William Faulkner, the author of "A Rose for Emily" is a Southern Gothic Romanticism writer. Using sense of place, violence, imprisonment and freakishness he creates a plot twisting story that wonders readers and criticizes not further investigating problems that need solving in "A Rose for Emily".

Wallis Willis- Wallis Willis was the author of a negro spiritual, "Swing Low Sweet Chariot". Through this song, he relayed a piece of what being a slave was like and what brought hope to slaves when they faced the troubles of slavery.

Negro Spiritual- A type song sang by slaves on the plantations when slavery was a prominent feature of American states.This typed of song often relays a spiritual message but can also express the slaves' desire for freedom. An example of a negro spiritual would be "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" by Wallis Willis.

Call and Response- Call and response is a style of music in which a singer sings a certain line of lyrics and other singers reply with a "response" to the music.

Motif- Motifs are distinct features in Gothic Romanticism that help develop the plot, mood, and tone of the story. They can help to create the suspense that compels the reader to continue reader. A few examples of motifs found in Gothic Romanticism are hidden chambers, romance, and dangerous creatures.

Situational Irony- Situational irony is a type of irony that occurs when an expected outcome does not happen. Situational Irony can be seen in "A Rose for Emily" when Emily kills Homer Baron, because the audience does not expect Emily to kill someone who she could potentially marry, although doesn't. Even the townspeople within the story supposed them to be married and were stunned when they found Homer's dead body in the upstairs of Emily's house.

Dramatic Irony- Dramatic irony often occurs when the audience knows something that the characters in the story don't know. An example of this is found in "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" when the audience knows that Mrs. Crater wants a man to marry her daughter, but Mr. Shiftlet does not know this until later.

Verbal Irony- Verbal Irony is a type of irony in which a statement does not mean what it says. An example of this would be when a person says,"My farts smell like roses," when really their farts are do not smell any better that a baby diaper.

What is the theme of this unit?
The theme of this unit is that mankind has faults and these faults are exercised blindly. This blind exercise of fault can be seen in a majority of the Gothic Romanticism short stories we have read thus far. In "A Rose for Emily" by Faulkner, the townspeople do not take the responsibility to know about Emily's well-being, so they were not able to help Emily overcome her mental disease that caused her to have a desire to sleep with corpses. In "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the human nature of greed, taking what is given for granted, and not being grateful are criticized when the elderly subjects of Dr. Heidegger's experiment are given the water of the fountain of living waters.
This theme relates to the world because it is found in everyday life. People blindly make immoral decisions or judge others who take immoral decisions that they do themselves. This theme is not only found in unit; there are other stories that portray this theme from past English experience. This theme can be seen in The Scarlet Letter, by Hawthorne, when the entire town shuns Hester for her sin while completely ignoring the fact that they, themselves, could be guilty of their own sins. It can also be seen in Fahrenheit 451(to give an example from an outside text), by Ray Bradbury, when Mildred, Guy Montag's wife, lacks the close connection with her husband that ideally exists between a husband and wife and doesn't think anything of their separation because she is too busy spending her life with her technology. When William Faulkner, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the other discussed authors of the unit write with this theme present in their works help open the eyes of people today and help them realize the immorality of their actions. Although their stories can be considered depressing, they can still have a positive impact on the world.

The Influence of Romanticism on Today's World

Although Romanticism does not typically portray uplifting themes, it can use the themes it does protray (e.g. hypocracy and adultury) to open the eyes people who ignorantly take immoral actions. It can inspire such people to change their behavior and become better people, or realize how messed up society  is and try to make a difference in society themselves. Through Romanticism, Gothic Romanticism, and Southern Gothic Romanticism, authors can influence today's world and make it a better place by encouraging others to become better people.

How did the American culture prompt the dark sides of Romanticism (think Gothic and Southern Gothic)?

Naturally, in American Culture, human fault is present and common. This commonality of fault, whether it be because of decisions that are 

In American culture, human fault is not uncommon. Fault in an American, is based on the interpretation on who ever is seeking fault, and is often found in the fault seeker himself, which thus makes him or her a hypocrite. This fault finding sport fuels Romanticism and Southern Gothic Romanticism by giving the author of such writing style a theme to write about, the dark side of human nature. For example, Mr. Shiftlet in "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" by O'Connor leaves behind his angelic wife, picks up a hitchhiker, and proceeds to lecture the young boy on how sad he felt that he left his angelic mother. This act can be seen as hypocracy because Shiftlet is hinting that the boy should not leave his family behind when he is leaving his own wife behind. Hypocracy is a dark theme that is present in Southern Gothic Romanticism, but the reason it is included in Southern Gothic Romanticism is because it exists in real life.

How is the Southern Gothic movement a response to literary movements that have preceded it as well as a manipulation of Romantic literary conventions?

 How is the Southern Gothic movement a response to literary movements that have preceded it as well as a manipulation of Romantic literary conventions?

Southern Gothic Romanticism is a sub-genre of Romanticism. It is a response to the Romanticism movements and a manipulation of Romantic literary conventions. It shares the basic values of nature, human nature, and past; but it also includes the manipulations of a southern setting, the common grotesque character, and the themes of freakishness, imprisonment, violence, and sense of place.

Differences and Similarities Between Romanticism, Gothic Romanticism, and Southern Gothic Romanticism

Differences
Romanticism-

• Expresses values of Nature, Human Nature, and Past
• Shows interest in escaping reality
• A common belief among romantics is that science is dangerous
• Expresses individuality

Gothic Romanticism-

• Expresses values of dark, gloomy, mysterious, exotic, and supernatural

Southern Gothic Romanticism-

• Ironic Events
• Grotesque
• Southern setting

• Commonly includes themes of violence, imprisonment, freakishness, and sense of place

Similarities

• All express basic values of Nature, Human Nature, Past (Commonly seen as criticism against human nature.)

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

• "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" by Wallis Willis is about escaping the physical conditions of slavery and religious faith and hope. The message within this song is shown through representation that can be taken literally or figuratively; literally, meaning to escape the physical conditions of slavery and figuratively to portray religious hope and faith. In the lyrics of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot", Willis writes,"Swing low, sweet chariot,
  Comin' for to carry me home;
  Swing low, sweet chariot,
  Comin' for to carry me home." Home, in this case is referring to heaven, and when the singer asks that the chariot carry him home, he is asking God to take him up to heaven so he no longer has to endure the pains of slavery which he or she has to physically endure.
• This song relates today and is reflective of this time period because although slavery is no longer a relevant issue in America, people throughout this country are still subject pain and suffering. These people, though their life may not be as harsh as the life of the individuals who sang this song during times of slavery, can view this song as a way to look toward God to help them make it through hard times just as the slaves did a long while ago.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow captures the imaginations of readers today by leaving missing pieces of information for their minds to work with and add.
•  When Icabod is faced by the Headless Horseman,Washington Irving describes the phantom as "huge, misshapen, black, and towering" (Irving). He chases Icabod with his horse and carries a head in his saddle. After Icabod's frightening encounter with the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, the remaining evidence of Icobod's encounter with the headless horseman include Icobod's trampled saddle, borrowed horse, and a shattered pumpkin. This leads the reader to wonder if Icobod imagined the horseman to be headless and carrying a head, or if the incident was a trick played on Icobod by another character. Brom Bones later laughing at the story of Icobod's encounter when the pumpkin is mentioned seems to confirm suspicion that he is guilty of pretending to be the headless horseman because he is the joking type and has the motive of scaring away Icabod so he can marry Katrina.
• The evidences left to the reader by Irving allow the reader to imply and make their own assumptions and inspires the imaginations of the reader as they contemplate what really happened in the story.

Criticism Toward Human Nature in Gothic Romanticism

How do the Gothic fiction writers express—either directly or indirectly—a criticism of human nature. Explain what the writers criticize about human nature, and how they communicate this criticism to the reader. Do the writers have similar attitudes toward human nature? Explain.

• In "The Fall of the House of Usher", Poe expresses criticism toward the human nature of doubt. This criticism is evident when Usher hears Madeline's movement from within her tomb but doesn't tell the narrator of his suspicions until later when Madeline escapes her tomb herself. He was doubted what he did indeed hear, and as a result, dies from the shock and dread of her awakening body.
• In "The Fountain of Youth", Hawthorne expresses criticism toward the human nature of taking youth for granted. This criticism is evident after the four elderly subjects partake of the fountain of youth. After having drunk from the fount, they fall into delirium, believing they are young when they are actually still old. They go crazy and take this youthful feeling for granted by, completely forgetting the feeling of age that they did face and even making fun of the infirmities encountered with age. They even make fun of the elderly in their merriment. Hawthorne writes," The most singular effect of their gayety was an impulse to mock the infirmity and decrepitude of which they had so lately been the victims. They laughed loudly at their old-fashioned attire, the wide-skirted coats and flapped waist-coats of the young men, and the ancient cap and gown of the blooming girl. One limped across the floor like a gouty grandfather; one set a pair of spectacles astride of his nose, and pretended to pore over the black-letter pages of the book of magic; a third seated himself in an arm-chair, and strove to imitate the venerable dignity of Dr. Heidegger..."Because they took the youth they had previously felt for granted, they were faced with a feeling of disappointment at it's departure rather than a feeling of gratitude that they had been able to feel young again for at least a small moment.
• In "Masque of the Red Death", Poe expresses criticism toward the human nature of negligence and the taking of health for granted. This criticism is aimed toward the noble people at Prince Prospero's party. Those at the party shut themselves off from the declining health of the people of the kingdom instead of helping or contributing to the sick's betterment, and even worse-- they throw a party to enjoy while they do so. The Red Death's unexpected arrival at the party and killing off the crowd can be seen as punishment for not realizing just how fortunate the people at the party are for their health and their negligence of the people who don't have good health. If Prince Prospero's friends aren't grateful for their health, they might as well fall ill.
• The authors of these works express similar criticisms toward human nature. In "The Fountain of Youth" and "Masque of the Red Death", Hawthorne and Poe show a common criticism of taking what is given for granted. The elderly men and woman in "The Fountain of Youth" are ungrateful for the small period of youth they are given and don't take the time to fully appreciate the youth they are given, and the friends of Prospero who attend his party don't seem to fully appreciate their health. Both groups of people from both works receive a form of punishment as a result of their ungratefulness-- disappointment and death.

The Fall of the House of Usher Analysis

The Fall of the House of Usher Analysis

Usher's illness and weakness could likely be the cause of Madeline being a vampire. The reasonings behind this statement are listed below:

Usher is sick--- very sick, but the reasons of his illness are hidden. He is extremely pale, and his appearance is so different from when he was younger that the narrator claims to have almost not recognized his face. He suffers from “a morbid acuteness of the senses” and cannot stand flavorful food, light, and music, besides that of the strange chords he makes on his guitar. He traces the cause of his infirmities to his sister, who is also ill and supposedly nearing the time of her death, but the reasons behind paleness of Usher's skin and his abhorrence of light and other substance can be traced to an even darker matter--- a vampire bite.

Throughout "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe, the narrator explains various strange symptoms. Among these symptoms are a "ghastly pallor of the skin, and the now miraculouse lustre of the eye" (Poe), the unheeded growth of the hair, and "a morbid acuteness of senses" (Poe). Other symptoms include an inability to stand vibrant food, smells and light. These symptoms are very abnormal, but there is a conclusion as to what the cause of these abnormalities are. The gastly parlor of the skin, or paleness of the skin, could a result of loss of blood. More specifically, Usher's blood has been sucked away by a vampire. The inability to stand the vibrant foods, smells, and light, conditions which are enjoyed by humans, suggests that he is no longer human or is at least turning into a vampire.

Madeline, like Usher, is undergoing odd symptoms. The narrator explains how "the disease of the lady Madeline had long baffled the skill of her physicians. A settled apathy, a gradual wasting away of the the person,m and frequent although transient affections of a partially cataleptical character, were the unusual diagnosis" (Poe). These symptoms are evidence that she is a vampire. When she bit Usher he began to become a vampire too, and that is why they both suffer from similarly perplexing symptoms; They are both vampires.

The evidences of Madeline being a vampire are not only shown in Usher's symptoms and her own symptoms; They are shown through the reactions of Usher and the narrator when they are near Madeline. While Usher is explaining the Madeline’s illness to the narrator, the woman herself happens to pass through, and as she does so the narrator explains his reaction:

“I regarded her with an utter astonishment not unmingled with dread---and yet I found it impossible to account for such feelings. A sensation of stupor oppressed me, as my eyes followed her retreating steps” (Poe).

The narrator then turns to Usher and explains to the reader the reaction of Madeline’s presence that is evident in the man’s frame:

“I could only perceive that a far more that ordinary wanness had overspread the emaciated fingers through which trickled many passionate tears” (Poe).

When Madeline passes through the room both characters are effected in a seemingly supernatural way; The narrator is encountered by a feeling of gloom, and Usher becomes paler than he was before she entered. These simultaneous occurrences help confirm that Madeline is a vampire, and that Ushers condition worsens slightly as a result of her presence shows a small portion of how Madeline being a vampire affects his health.

The most solidifying piece of evidence of how Madeline being a vampire effects Usher’s health is shown after she supposedly dies. When Madeline seems to pass away, Usher wants to keep her body a few more days so that he can be sure of her passing. He and the narrator of the story store her in what used to be a dungeon. Strangely though, as directly stated, “The disease that had thus entombed the lady in the maturity of youth, had left, as usual in all maladies of a strictly cataleptical character, the mockery of a faint blush upon the bosom and the face, and that suspiciously lingering smile upon the lip which is so terrible in death. We replaced and screwed down the lid, and having secured the door of iron, made our way, with toil, into the scarcely less gloomy apartments of the upper portion of the house” (Poe). These clues give the impression that she is not as dead as she appears, though clearly her brother believes her to be so. The effects that this temporary burial has on Usher appear soon after Usher and the narrator close Madeline within the former dungeon. He begins to roam from room to room nervously, his appearance resumes a ghastly countenance, his eyes appear darker than usual, and his voice shows signs of nervousness, losing it’s husky tone. To the narrator, Usher’s odd behavior seems to manifest that he is holding something back, which he lacks the courage to reveal. The narrator beholds him “gazing upon vacancy for long hours, in an attitude of the profoundest attention, as if listening to some imaginary sound” (Poe). It is evident that something is bothering Usher, though at this time what is actually troubling his mind is left for the reader to imply until further informed.

Later on the night of the seventh or eighth day a supernatural occurrence takes place. The narrator, who is having a difficult time sleeping due to “certain low and indefinite sounds which came through the pauses of the storm, at long intervals” (Poe) throws on his clothes and paces about his room without future plans to sleep for the rest of the night. As the narrator paces, he is interrupted by Usher, who is also restless. The two sit down and begin to read a story together in attempt to calm their nerves. As they progress through the story, the “Mad Trist” of Sir Launcelot Canning, they begin to hear noises that occur simultaneously with the events in the story itself. When Ethelred, the main character of the story, uses his mace, faint banging noises come from unknown location within the mansion of Usher.  When Ethelred strikes a dragon with his mace, a screaming or grating noise similar to the that of the imagined dragon is heard. Upon these occurrences, Usher’s appearance declines drastically. His chair is facing the door of the chamber, his lips are trembling, he is murmuring to himself, and he is swaying side to side in a way that portrays uneasiness. The narrator continues to read and a third noise is heard as Etherel claims his shield. This startles the narrator who jumps to his feet, but Usher remains undisturbed from his uniform rocking. The narrator rushes to Usher and listens intently to his words:

“Not hear it?---yes, I hear it, and have heard it. Long---long---long---many minutes, many hours, many days have i heard it----yet I dared not...speak! We have put her living in the tomb! Said I not that my senses were acute?”

As Usher escalates to madness, crying in fear of the possibility that she stands at the actual door, she does, in fact, appear at the door. She, grunting and covered in blood, falls heavily inward upon Usher, and Usher dies a sudden death as they fall to the floor.

A normal human being would not be able to survive in a coffin for as long as Madeline did. A normal human being would not be able to break out of the coffin Madeline was encased in, and a normal human being would certainly be unable to escape a secured dungeon. Madeline did all of these things and is definitely not human. She is vampire. When Usher discovers this as a result of her escaping her coffin, his health declines drastically and results in his death.

Gothic Romanticismin in "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner and "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" by Flannery O'Connor

Southern Gothic Romanticism is a style in American literature that often involves irony and a plot filled with unusual events. Objects, characters, and themes in Southern Gothic Romanticism may include a grotesque, a strange object, and the themes of freakishness, imprisonment,violence, and sense of place. A couple examples of Southern Gothic Romanticism include, "A Rose for Emily" and "The Life You Save May Be Your Own".



“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
A Rose for Emily is an example of Gothic Romanticism because it exhibits irony, unusual events, a grotesque, and the themes of imprisonment, violence, and sense of place.

• Irony is exhibited when Emily, a reclusive woman, actually kills her lover so that he will stay with her. This is not expected by the audience because a sane person in the American society does not typically kill someone they love.
  
• The theme of freakishness is exhibited in “A Rose for Emily” and is visible in her mental disease which leads her to kill her husband. Her thoughts and actions are unusual and sickening which leads the reader to classify her as freakish. Although she is freakish, her loneliness inspires sympathy thus making her the grotesque of the story.
  
• The theme of violence is shown through the actual murder of her Homer Barron when Emily poisons him with arsenic.
  
• The theme of imprisonment is shown through Emily's reclusiveness.
  

• The theme of sense of place is noticeable when Emily's home is being described. These descriptions set the scenes throughout the story.
  “It was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with
  cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the
  seventies, set on what had once been our most select street. But garages and
  cotton gins had encroached and obliterated even the august names of that
  neighborhood; only Miss Emily's house was left, lifting its stubborn and
  coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps--an eyesore
  among eyesores.” (Faulkner)
  

This quote from “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner shows that the house of Emily is very old and adds a mood of curiosity as the description of her house causes the reader to wonder what took away from the brighter mood once found in the residence of Emily.

“The Life You Save May Be Your Own” by Flannery O'Conner

“The Life You Save May Be Your Own” is an example of Southern Gothic Romanticism because it exhibits irony, unusual events, a grotesque, freakishness,and sense of place.

• Irony appears in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” when Shiftless abandons his wife at a restaurant and drives off, following which he picks up a hitchhiker due to his belief that “a man with a car had a responsibility” for others. He feels like a man with a car “has a responsibility for others”, yet he drops the responsibility he has for his wife by abandoning her at a restaurant. This act perplexes the audience of the story as they wonder what drives Shiftless to be so blindly hypocritical.

• Shiftlet is the grotesque of the story “The Life you Save may be Your Own” because of his missing arm and the fact that he is a homeless tramp. However, when Shiftlet offers to help renovate aspects of Mrs. Crater's home and car in exchange for the very least, a place to stay, this repulsion is forgotten and the reader begins to find a love for the armless man. The reader begins to hope and watch him overcome his disability as he makes himself a more meaningful piece of Mrs. Crater and her daughter, Lucynell. Unfortunate, the readers are deceived by these actions. He eventually leaves his wife behind at a restaurant. Instead of using the abilities he does have to help others, he takes his abilities to his advantage long enough to get a car before leaving his wive, poor Lucynell behind.

• The theme of sense of place is shown in the description of Mrs. Crater House:
  “In the evenings he sat on the steps and talked while the old woman and Lucynell rocked violently in their chairs on either side of him.” (Connor)
  This quote from Connor's work gives a description of a setting often unique to Southern type works, rocking chairs and porches.
  
  
  
  

In “A Rose from Emily”, why do you think Miss Emily’s crime goes undetected until her death? Identify at least three contributing factors and support them with reference to the story.

In "A Rose for Emily", Emily, a mentally ill and reclusive woman, murdered Homer Barron, a man who was hoped to marry her by the rest of the townspeople. Emily's crime of poisoning Homer Barron went undetected because of the town's little knowledge concerning Emily and her well-being, Emily's high reputation, and the sympathy of the townspeople.

The towns people did not know a lot about Emily. They didn't see her very often because she never left her house. This lack of knowledge lead them to ignorantly assume that the stench around Emily's house was caused by her male housekeeper's poor cooking skills or a snake or a rat killed by her manservant out in the yard."Just as if a man--any man--could keep a kitchen properly," (Faulkner) the women would say. The falsely supposing townspeople had no clue that the stench of the house was actually pervading from the dead corpse of Homer Barron, stashed away in an upstairs bedroom. Instead of confronting Emily herself on the matter, a few men are sent to secretly cover the foul stench with lime. This method successfully covered the stench, but did not reveal the actual source of the sickly miasma.
Another Factor that concealed Emily's crime was her family's high reputation. Her father was known for his political involvement and Emily was recognized for her families contributions to the community through a tax break. Emily's father was very picky about who Emily was permitted to date, and he kept their family's standards very high. This likely helped conceal Emily's crime because generally people of high reputation in a community are highly favored and are not  known for murder. This idea restrained the population of townspeople from ever suspecting Emily crime and helped conceal the poisoning of Homer Barron.

A third factor that kept the murder of Homer Barron hidden, was the sympathy that the townspeople felt towards Emily. Emily was very lonely after her father died, and rumor had it that he didn't even leave her an inheritance besides their house. They felt even more sympathetic when it became apparent that Emily was going to have a difficult time finding a husband.
The townspeople's sympathy towards Emily's loneliness only made Emily's crime easier to commit unsuspected. When signs showed up that allowed them to assume Homer and Emily to be married, they snatched the opportunity. "They are married." (Faulkner) they said. Since they assumed them married that made it Homer's murder even less obvious because, logically, it wouldn't make sense for Emily to kill her husband when the chances of finding a husband had been slim for her in the first place.

When the towns people made a assumptions off of what they heard, they found  reality to be contrastingly different. Basing their assumptions off of rumors and past reputations proved to be inaccurate, and when her reclusive nature kept from knowing the truth, they had no primary source to verify their rumors with. If they had known more about Emily, they might have been able to help her with the mental illness that lead her to murder Homer Barron. Because they didn't have reliable sources, Homer Barron's murder went undetected.

Flannery O’Connor, the author of “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”, said that the hitchhiker Shiftlet picks up at the end ‘makes the story work.’ How do you think the episode with the hitchhiker does this?

Towards the end of the short story, "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" by Flannery O'Connor, Mr. Shiftlet drives away with his new wife, leaving her mother behind for what was said to be . After driving for a period of time he decides that his wife is probably hungry. He pulls over to a restaurant called the “Hotspot” and Lucynell falls asleep at the counter. The boy behind the counter comments on Lucynell saying she looks like "an angel of Gawd". Shiftlet lies and says she is a hitch hiker (not his wife), orders her a plate of food, and leaves feeling depressed. As he drives he keeps an eye out for hitchhikers and sees a sign that says the words, "the life you save may be your own". Seeing a hitch hiker, he pulls over and offers a ride to him. The hitchhiker is a young boy who has obviously left "somewhere for good". Mr. Shiflet, feeling oppressed, begins chatting with the boy, telling him of how his mother was an "angel of Gawd". This angers the hitchhiker, and he shouts, "You go to the devil! My old woman is a flea bag and yours is a stinking pole cat!" Following these remarks he jumps out of the car. Feeling as though "the rottenness of the world was about to engulf him", Shiftlet prays to God to "Break forth and wash the slime from this earth!" and drives into Mobile.

This section of the story 'makes the story work' because it represents one's committing of a sin while attempting to also save their soul from damnation. Shiftlet commits the sins of both lying to the the boy at the counter by saying his wife is a hitch hiker and leaving his wife behind when he is expected by his mother-in-law to take care of her.
Before the couple leaves she says with tears,"And I wouldn't let no man have her but you because I seen you would do right. Good‑by, Sugarbaby…" This scene shows why Mrs. Crater let Shiftlet marry her daughter and how much she trusted him. Unfortunately, Shiftlet is not as trustworthy as Mrs. Crater believes him to be, and he leaves Lucynell behind at a restaurant.
On his way to Mobile, Mr. Shiftlet feels “more depressed than ever”. Believing that “a man with a car had a responsibility to others” and seeing a sign that says the phrase, “Drive carefully. The life you save may be your own,” he stops his car to pick up a hitchhiker. This act represents trying to compensate for the committing of a sin with other good works. He explains to the hitchhiker of how he left his angelic mother and how he regrets leaving her, possibly in attempt to ‘open the eyes of the hitchhiker’ so he will appreciate his own mother fully. He explains this regret with tears, but doesn’t acknowledge that he also wrongly left his angelic wife. What he may have thought to be a good work, giving a hitchhiker a ride and attempting to encourage turning back to a mother, turns out to be an act of hypocrisy. This angers the hitchhiker and drives him to jump out of the car, completely canceling any hope of compensation for Shiftlet’s sin.

Southern Gothic Romanticism in "A Rose for Emily" by Faulkner and "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" by O'Connor

Southern Gothic Romanticism is a style in American literature that often involves irony and a plot filled with unusual events. Objects, characters, and themes in Southern Gothic Romanticism may include a grotesque, a strange object, and the themes of freakishness, imprisonment,violence, and sense of place. A couple examples of Southern Gothic Romanticism include, "A Rose for Emily" and "The Life You Save May Be Your Own".

“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
A Rose for Emily is an example of Gothic Romanticism because it exhibits irony, unusual events, a grotesque, and the themes of imprisonment, violence, and sense of place.

• Irony is exhibited when Emily, a reclusive woman, actually kills her lover so that he will stay with her. This is not expected by the audience because a sane person in the American society does not typically kill someone they love.
• The theme of freakishness is exhibited in “A Rose for Emily” and is visible in her mental disease which leads her to kill her husband. Her thoughts and actions are unusual and sickening which leads the reader to classify her as freakish. Although she is freakish, her loneliness inspires sympathy thus
• The theme of violence is shown through the actual murder of Homer Barron when Emily poisons him with arsenic.
 

• The theme of imprisonment is shown through Emily's reclusiveness.
  

• The theme of sense of place is noticeable when Emily's home is being described. These descriptions set the scenes throughout the story.
  “It was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with
  cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the
  seventies, set on what had once been our most select street. But garages and
  cotton gins had encroached and obliterated even the august names of that
  neighborhood; only Miss Emily's house was left, lifting its stubborn and
  coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps--an eyesore
  among eyesores.” (Faulkner)
  

This quote from “A Rose for Emily” by shows that the house of Emily is very old and adds a mood of curiosity as the description of her house causes the reader to wonder what took away from the brighter mood once found in the residence of Emily

“The Life You Save May Be Your Own” by Flannery O'Conner

“The Life You Save May Be Your Own” is an example of Southern Gothic Romanticism because it exhibits irony, unusual events, a grotesque, themes of freakishness, and sense of place.

• Irony appears in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” when Shiftless abandons his wife at a restaurant and drives off, following which he picks up a hitchhiker due to his belief that “a man with a car had a responsibility” for others. He feels like a man with a car “has a responsibility for others”, yet he drops the responsibility he has for his wife by abandoning her at a restaurant. This act perplexes the audience of the story as they wonder what drives Shiftless to be so blindly hypocritical.

• Shiftlet is the grotesque of the story “The Life you Save may be Your Own” because of his missing arm and the fact that he is a homeless tramp. However, when Shiftlet offers to help renovate aspects of Mrs. Crater's home and car in exchange for the very least, a place to stay, this repulsion is forgotten and the reader begins to find a love for the armless man. The reader begins to hope and watch him overcome his disability as he makes himself a more meaningful piece of Mrs. Crater and her daughter, Lucynell. Unfortunate, the readers are deceived by these actions. He eventually leaves his wife behind at a restaurant. Instead of using the abilities he does have to help others, he takes his abilities to his advantage long enough to get a car before leaving his wive, poor Lucynell behind.

• The theme of sense of place is shown in the description of Mrs. Crater House:
  “In the evenings he sat on the steps and talked while the old woman and Lucynell rocked violently in their chairs on either side of him.” (Connor)
  This quote from Connor's work gives a description of a setting often unique to Southern type works, rocking chairs and porches.

Socratic Questions for "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor

Closed-ended question: Who is the murderer in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and how many other criminals does he have with him?

Answer: The murderer in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is The Misfit. He has two other criminals with him, Bobby Lee and Hyram.

Open-ended question: What event can be inferred by the gunshot heard from the woods?

Answer: The event that can be inferred by the gunshot is the murder of the grandmother's is the death of her family when they are shot by Bobby Lee and Hyram.

World Connection: In what ways are today's people "not as nice as they used to be?"

Answer: People "are not as nice as they used to be". It is not uncommon for someone to meet another who lies, cheats, are is flat out disrespectful. Shootings are common in schools, and news of crime and war can always be found in the newspaper. It wasn't always this way though. Stories can be heard from grandparents and great-grandparents about the contrast in violence and crime between today's age and the 1900s. It is true that there was violence back then but violence is more frequent in today's society.


Universal Theme/ Core Question: How does the theme of the story tie to the title?

Answer: One of the themes of the short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find", is the theme of the declining of social morals. Throughout the story, there are instances in which immorality is present, and the morality of the time period of the story is compared with the morality of the times before. Different examples of immorality in the story include the merciless killings committed by the misfit, the dishonest charging of gas by the men encountered by Red Sam, and the childrens' disappointment when they discover that no one is dead after their car accident. Even the grandmother's small lie when telling of the secret panel can be considered immoral. These immoralities seen in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" validate the short story's title and put emphasis on how much immorality is seen in the world today.

Literal Analysis Question: How does the author use syntax in her story, and how is this utilization effective?

Answer: The author uses syntax throughout her story when she explains conversations and interactions between the included characters without actually stating what they are saying. For example, when the grandmother and family first depart their home, the author writes,"The grandmother said she would tell them a story if they would keep quiet. When she told a story, she rolled her eyes and waved her head and was very dramatic." This unique use of syntax forces the reader to imagine what is going on and enhances the imagery of the piece, while eliminating the unnecessary dialogue that distracts from the premise of the story.