Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What are the characteristics of the Southern Gothic genre? What other writers besides Flannery O’Connor have written in this genre?

Teaching Suggestion: A basic understanding of the Southern Gothic genre will help students get the most from reading Flannery O’Connor’s story. You might begin by asking if students have read any prominent examples, such as William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, or even the podcast S-Town. Then, discuss what the stories have in common and how the setting of the American South shapes the characters and plots.

• “Southern Gothic Literature” is a comprehensive entry from the Oxford Research Encyclopedias. You may choose to have students read only the brief “Summary” section at the beginning of the article, which defines the genre and lists authors who are known for writing in it.
• “Why People Love Southern Gothic” from Smithsonian magazine explores how “from the 19th century to S-Town, it’s a compelling genre that’s as flawed as its most grotesque characters.