* Setting is eerie, remote, sometimes drafty old family estate;
* Atmosphere is mysterious, suspenseful;
* There is a ghostly legend, an unexplained occurrence, OR a horrible death or tragedy that took place;
* Omens, foreshadowing, dreams, that add to the mystery;
* Emotions run high, particularly terror, anxiety, anger, agitation, a feeling of doom, or obsessive love;
* Supernatural events (sometimes masqueraded as natural events -- including weather and natural disasters);
* Words (diction) that evoke gloom and doom, foreboding, forbidding, ghostly imagery;
* Romanic themes of that involve the death of a man or woman who are madly in love; obsessive love, excessive grief upon the loss of a loved one;
* Injustice.
How do Mockingbird and "Where are you going..." measure up as Gothic works? Is one work more "gothic" than the other? Explain your answer. Due in class today.
~Amelia Heon
ReplyDeleteBoth pieces of writing, "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "Where are you going, Where have you been?", are both extraordinary Gothic works because of the mysteries that occur in each story. Both pieces are equal, in my opinion, in how Gothic they are. A similar mystery that happened in both works is how they both have a man that is quite peculiar. In "To Kill A Mockingbird", Boo Radley was the man of suspicion, and was quite creepy to most people in town. Arnold Friend was the mystery man in "Where are you going, Where have you been?" because he was the strange man who seemed to know everything about Connie and her family; he had dark shaggy hair, with scrubby clothing, and claimed to be way younger than how he really looked. Boo would slightly seem to e a stalker because of how he sneaked around the children, putting goodies in the knothole and placing the blanket on scout to keep her warm. However, Arnold seems to be an extreme stalker. He practically explained some of the events that happened to Connie; and he also seemed to be so confident that she would join him on their "ride" to somewhere he refused to admit. These men were the main mysteries in each individual story. I believe they were what truthfully made these "Gothic". The suspicion in both men haunted the whole story in each piece of writing, they were in fact, the effect of how each work was Gothic.
While Boo might have been maligned by neighborhood scolds, he in fact turns out to be a hero. Arnold is no hero.
DeleteJake Morris:
ReplyDeleteBoth of the stories "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Where are you going..." add up to overall two very Gothic works. In "Mockingbird", the entire focus of the story focuses on injustice, high tension emotions, and and a supernatural or unknown entity controlling a large part of the plot (in this case Boo Radley). It has a slightly dark undertone to it, the creepiness and suspense being thinly covered by a child's perspective. In "Where are you going..." the story revolves around a damsel in distress (Connie), and the foreboding dialogues between her and Arnold Friend. He says increasingly disturbing things to her up until the end of the story, where it can be assumed that he sexually assaulted and murdered her. This can be an example of a tragedy that occurs in this story. Also, Connie is shown to have extremely high amounts of anxiety and fear throughout the story of this man who follows her around and eventually threatens to kill her family if she doesn't "go with him". In my opinion, "Where are you going..." can be classified as a more fitting story for the Southern Gothic genre, having much more obvious emotion and behaviors depicted throughout the story, and the main tragedy to be much more hard-hitting than "Mockingbird''s; a colored man being falsely accused of rape versus a young girl being terrorized, threatened, raped and murdered, the latter being much more descriptive and impacting to the reader. In "Where are you going..." the dark themes aren't even attempted to be hid, they are right out in the open and described as much as they can. Both of these stories overall fit the categories that are required for a story to be considered Southern Gothic, both describing awful things that happen and showcasing the extremes of emotion, whether it be anger, fear or anxiety. The darkness of the story is the main point of the writing, giving off an eerie feeling and being described as Southern Gothic writing.
Good points here. Both stories end with tragedies of some sort, though the short story seems more haunting...
Delete~Delaney Cavanaugh
ReplyDeleteThe novel To Kill a Mockingbird and the short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been are both examples of works from the genre Southern Gothic. To Kill a Mockingbird measures up as a Southern Gothic work because throughout the whole novel there is suspension, supernatural events, injustice, etc. The novel is usually suspenseful anytime Boo is mentioned and when the author ended the chapters with suspense. Another reason why To Kill a Mockingbird is considered Southern Gothic is because of the supernatural events. One specific event was when the blizzard happened that took place in Maycomb and Miss. Maudie’s house burnt down. Also, because of its injustice the novel is considered Southern Gothic; although there are many more characteristics that pertain as to why To Kill a Mockingbird is considered Southern Gothic.
The short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been is also considered Southern Gothic because of the mystery in the story, emotions running high, damsel in distress, etc. You never full are told what happens to Connie in the end leaving that to be a mystery to the reader. Also, emotions’ running high describes how the short story is Southern Gothic, especially when Arnold shows up at the house. Yet, the most obvious element of this story being Southern Gothic is because of Connie being distressed. She was threatened and frightened. In my opinion this short story is more “gothic” than the other because almost all of the elements given apply to this work and also I found it to be more disturbing than To Kill a Mockingbird.
The blizzard! A supernatural event, and possibly an omen!
DeleteMargaux Bessette
ReplyDeleteBoth "Mockingbird" and "Where are you going..." measure up to Gothic works. In "Mockingbird" there is injustice in the Tom Robinson case when he is accused of raping Mayella when he actually did not do so. There are also many emotions like anger, terror and anxiety. Anger is shown when Bob Ewell confronts Atticus and spits on him. Terror is shown a bit in Tom Robinson's wife and also in Scout and Jem when they encounter Boo Radley. Anxiety is shown on the day of Tom Robinson's case when they are awaiting the verdict from the jury. In "Where are you going..." Connie, the main character, is a damsel in distress. This is because she is threatened and confused when Arnold shows up at her house while her parents are out. He tries to get her to leave with him when she does not want to go.
While they are of the same family, they don't look much like kin, do they?
DeleteMatthew Mardo:
ReplyDeleteThe novel To Kill A Mockingbird and the short story “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” both resemble the Southern Gothic genre in aspects of their plots, themes, and writing styles. In the novel, the beginning of the book revolves around the eeriness of Maycomb and ominous mystery of The Radley House. These elements demonstrate a Southern Gothic genre with pieces of suspense, emotion, mysterious legends, and injustice. Boo Radley is seen as an evil figure with the rumors that surround his name of him stabbing a parent and eating animals within the confines of his house. The question of injustice occurs later with the trial of Tom Robinson. The short story of “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” includes suspense, fearful emotions from a woman, and an eerie atmosphere. The short story follows the story of a young teenage girl who becomes pursued by a stranger that eventually kidnaps and abuses her through force. Her fear and emotions are felt as the suspense and drama of the situation rises with the conclusion of her being taken. In my opinion, To Kill A Mockingbird is more gothic due to the fact that it contains more elements of a Southern Gothic genre. The novel has more of a mysterious setting with the rumors that surrounded the small neighborhood of Maycomb where their isolation leaves them only with themselves. An almost ghostly legend is found with the stories about Boo Radley and the fact that he never leaves the house. Intense emotions exist throughout the trial of Tom Robinson when the question of what is justice in the racial society. Of the two pieces of literature, the novel of To Kill A Mockingbird is more Southern Gothic because of the literary elements that make up the unique genre.
Yes. MOCKINGBIRD is probably a more classic example. By virtue of its expanse, it has a lot of time to touch upon many of these elements.
DeleteConnor Sheehan
ReplyDeleteThe novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, and the short story, “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?”, should both be categorized under the category of Southern Gothic literature. “To Kill a Mockingbird” possess the elements of having a remote setting, having a tragedy that took place, emotions running high, and injustice. The whole story took place in Maycomb County which makes the setting remote. The tragedy that took place was the Tom Robinson case. Furthermore, all people in the town were affected by his trial. Some wanted him to be innocent while other did not. Finally, injustice took place when Robinson was considered guilty and when Bob Ewell hurt Jem and Scout. “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” is also a piece of Southern Gothic literature because emotions ran high, women were frightened, and injustice occurred like in the last novel. Connie was very worried about Arnold threatening her which falls under two of the elements that describe Southern Gothic literature. In addition, this short story had injustice in it. Although Connie did allow the tragedy that occurred to happen to her, it wasn’t right of Arnold to take Connie and abuse her and possibly kill her. So overall, “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” should be considered pieces of Southern Gothic literature.
I agree that injustice is probably a primary focus in Mockingbird. Think about Connie, too. Is Arnold Friend's pursuit of her deserved? She is a victim of injustice as well!
Delete~Jordan Delisle
ReplyDeleteTo Kill a Mockingbird and “Where are you going…” are pieces of Southern Gothic genre in many ways. For one, in both stories the atmosphere is mysterious and suspenseful. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the story became suspenseful when Scout, Jem , and Dill tried to get a look at Boo Radley before Dill went back to Meridian. A shadow came over the window when Jem and Dill were trying to look inside, and the kids became terrified because of what could happen. In “Where are you going…” the story becomes suspenseful when Arnold Friend shows up at Connie’s house while she was home alone, and she didn’t know what would come next. Another reason why both of the stories are pieces of Southern Gothic is that both stories, the characters, “Emotions run high, particularly terror, anxiety, anger, agitation, a feeling of doom, or obsessive love.” In To Kill a Mockingbird, whenever the kids had come across things from Boo Radley or when they tried to see him, many emotions had come across. Some of these emotions were fear, terror, curiosity, and wonder. In, “Where are you going…” Connie experienced terror and anxiety when Arnold Friend had come to her house and was demanding that she came in the car with him. And Arnold Friend had experienced obsessive love because he started telling Connie how he would show her “real love” and such. In my opinion, I think that, “Where are we going…”, is more of a Southern Gothic piece because there is more emotion and danger. Overall, both pieces are great images of Southern Gothic genre, but I think that, “Where are you going…” is more gothic than To Kill a Mockingbird.
I guess we can add to this list: a sense of uneasiness and vulnerability. You said it very well!
DeleteAlexis
ReplyDeleteTo Kill a Mockingbird and “Where Are You going, Where Have You Been?” both share distinct characteristics of Southern Gothic literature. Although one would not usually describe the stories as similar in meanings of plot and characters, their styles are very much the same. In Southern Gothic, there is sort of a dark feel throughout the book or the setting is far off and separate from the rest of the world. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the setting is Maycomb, Alabama which is a very small and isolated town, fitting into the remote setting characteristic of Gothic Literature. Both stories also share the same dark feel with all of the negative events occurring. Both stories feature murder or at least hint strongly at the prospect of it. Each piece also contains an unexplained occurrence. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there is the Radley house where the mysterious Boo Radley lives and no one knows or understands what has become of him. “In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Connie’s obsessive stalker knows every little thing about her life and her family without there even being a slight hint as to how he could possibly be so informed. Emotions are most certainly running high in the two stories throughout the entire piece. When Connie is being harassed and manipulated by Arnold friend in “Where Are You Going…” she becomes paralyzed with terror and confusion. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird Scout and Jem face terror multiple times: when Atticus is being threatened and when Mr.Ewell tries to kill them. They become angry and sad when Tom Robinson is convicted and then killed. Dark Emotions play a major part in the Gothic Literature genre. Aside from the fact that both pieces have very different characters and plot, they are alike in the way in which they both obviously display Gothic Literature.
Yes. While they are very, very different, they come from the same tradition... one of the finest American literature has to offer.
DeleteTo Kill a Mockingbird is considered a Southern Gothic story, and it therefore includes many of the characteristics of Southern Gothic literature. There is an unexplained occurrence- Boo Radley. None of the inhabitants of Maycomb County are quite sure what his true story is, but most everyone is all too familiar with the rumors and suspicions. The emotion in this story is plentiful; throughout the story you come to either love or hate the characters, and Harper Lee does a remarkable job of creating just enough suspense in the story that it’s difficult to put the book down. Lastly is the most obvious characteristic for any readers of To Kill a Mockingbird: injustice. Tom Robinson is declared guilty by his jury after a very convincing argument from Atticus Finch, in which he clearly puts the blame of Mayella Ewell’s injuries on Mr. Bob Ewell himself. Atticus makes an excellent case and proves beyond unreasonable doubt that Tom Robinson is indeed innocent, however the jury gives the verdict of guilty, and Tom Robinson is sent to prison.
ReplyDeleteWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is part of the Southern Gothic movement as well, but in different ways. The atmosphere of the short story is suspenseful, though not right away. There is also some foreshadowing when Connie is in the car with Eddie, Connie sees Arnold Friend watching her and hears him say, “Gonna get you, baby.” In this scene we, as readers, can assume that the author put that in the story for a reason, and that perhaps, he might really ‘get her’. Also, Connie is indeed a ‘damsel in distress’ when Arnold Friend comes for her. She’s young, vulnerable, and afraid, and there’s no one to help her.
In my opinion, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is the more “gothic” piece. While it’s more modern than To Kill a Mockingbird, it also has a more eerie feel to it; it makes the reader feel uncomfortable- especially if the reader can identify with Connie and put himself or herself in her place. The majority of the story is suspenseful and really keeps the reader on edge, therefore making it more “gothic”.
Mockingbird is saved, I think, by the sense that things will get better in time. When the racist Mr. Underwood starts changing his tune in the local newspapers, and Heck Tate decides not to investigate Boo's role in Ewell's death, Harper Lee makes that clear. "Where are you going" does not leave us with the same hopeful ending.
DeleteMatthew Krawetz
ReplyDelete"To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Where are you going..." are both very much Gothic pieces of literature, but in two different ways. "Where are you going.." is more of a creepy tale of a girl persuaded by a man to come take a ride with him. While "To Kill a Mockingbird" is more of a dark and mysterious book with two plots. One about a mysterious man that is given a bad image, and a man who has allegedly raped a woman. Both of them have injustice like a Gothic work should. in the case of "Where...", a girl is persuaded to take a ride with a complete stranger or he will harm her family. "Mockingbird" has injustice because they accused the man of rape because of the fact he is black, and Boo Radley has injustice put upon him because of the stories told about him. “Mockingbird” has many threats given such as when Bob Ewell spit on Atticus’ face and the trial placed upon Tom Robinson. The damsel in “Where…” is obviously Connie, as she is being threatened by this stranger Arnold “Friend”. So as you can see, both pieces of work portray the characteristics of a Southern Gothic work.
She will take a ride, but a ride to nowhere. She acknowledges that she is 'going to the land.' We know he will hurt her, kill her and bury her.
DeleteRebecca Brierly
ReplyDeleteI believe that both, Mockingbird and “Where are you going...” fit into the Southern Gothic genera. I do not think that either one of them is more “gothic” than the other. This is because they both have the elements that a Southern Gothic piece has. In Mockingbird there is definitely suspense, legends, and high emotions. For example, when Jem, Dill, and Scout are trying to look through a window at the Radely house it is very suspenseful. All of the children then become extremely terrified because of the legend of Boo Radely. Also, in “Where are you going…” there is high emotion, suspense, and a damsel in distress. When Arnold is at Connie’s house all of these characteristics take place. Connie becomes afraid when Arnold refuses to leave her house. Connie doesn't have the option of calling the police because Arnold says, “Soon and you touch the phone I don’t need to keep my promise and come inside. You won’t want that. She was going to wait for her dad to get home but Arnold said “all your people are going to get it”. The only option she had was to go with Arnold and Ellie. These are all reasons why both Mockingbird and “Where are you going…” are examples of Southern Gothic pieces.
Connie is completely paralyzed by Arnold Friend's threat. This is probably the scariest moment in the story!
DeleteMockingbird and Where are you Going, Where Have you Been? are both models of Southern Gothic Literature. Both of these pieces of literature take place in a setting or environment that is unpredictable and mysterious, and makes you stop and really wonder what could happen next. In Mockingbird, you never knew what was going to happen on the street or in Scout's house, every day was a new situation. In Where, Connie's mother was unpredictable, always insulting Connie and causing problems. Both of the environments in Mockingbird and Where caused rollercoasters of emotions. In Where, the feelings probably leaned more towards depression and anxiety, while in Mockingbird, Scout and Jem felt more adventurous and free spirited. The mystery in Mockingbird was the Radley House. Everyone wondered about it and viewed it as a mysterious house on the block. In Where, the mystery was really about who Arnold was, and his purpose for showing up at Connie's house. Also in Mockingbird, there was the injustice of the case Atticus was fighting for, and in general he racism that occured. In Where, the injustice was really the way Connie's family treated her , and how they made her feel. Both literature pieces measure up to be perfect examples of Southern Gothic Literature.
ReplyDelete-Erika
So true! The free wheeling feeling of being a kid in summer keeps Mockingbird from getting too dark... at least at first.
Delete-Tyler McCall
ReplyDeleteTo Kill a Mockingbird and Where Are You Going are both considered as Southern Gothic pieces of literature. But why? Both of these pieces of literature are defined as Southern Gothic because they both take place in the south and have an eerie, creepy feeling that has occuring tampering and mischief throughout. Mockingbird can be considered as Southern Gothic due to the fact that it was taken in the small town of Maycomb Alabama, in the south, and the fact that throughout the whole novel, this mysterious and "dangerous" character named Boo Radley always manages to constantly shock and spook the two main children, Jem and Scout. However, Boo Radley isn't the only subject in this book that creates a gothic feel. The time period is in the 1930's. America, especially in the south, is chaotic and confusing. Lots of racism is still constant, and this causes trouble for Maycomb. All of these thrown together add this constant spook you can't shake off, making this gothic. As for Where Are You Going. This short story was inspired by one of Bob Dylan's songs. What makes this really gothic is the fact that this constant creep that chases around this girl named Connie. No matter what in this story, there is that creepy sensation and spooky, eerie feel that you can't shake off. The way this man present himself to this girl Connie, it just makes you shiver. You could feel the anticipation throughout the story and you could feel Connie's general concern. Because of this feeling, I consider it highly gothic. Is one work more "gothic" than the other? In my opinion, yes. Where Have You Been definitely made me more spooked out than Mockingbird. Because Mockingbird was a novel, it moved at a much slower pace than Where have you been in my opinion. And because of this, I feel like it took away from the gothic feel. Things were slower, and more spaced out. All in all, both pieces excelled at its Southern Gothic feel, but Where have you been hit the home run in my eyes.
"Highly gothic" may mean that it is simply more scary. You make a good point about the pace of Mockingbird, and don't forget: that story is told through the eyes of a little girl. That changes a lot.
DeleteBoth stories: To Kill a Mockingbird and Where are you Going, Where Have you Been are both forms of Southern Gothic Literature. In my opinion, Where are you Going, Where have you Been falls more under the category of Southern Gothic Literature. This is because it includes several more of the elements of Southern Gothic Literature. These include: eerie settings, high running emotions, supernatural occurrences, tragedies, and injustices. In Mockingbird, I didn’t really have the feeling of eeriness or gloominess. However, there was a severe injustice and tragedy in the novel. Tom Robinson, a black accused of rape, was found guilty and convicted purely because of the color of his skin. Soon after he attempts escape, is shot, and dies. On the contrary, while reading Where, I had goosebumps. The whole story just screamed doom. I was definitely more into this story, meaning I had more opinions towards the characters decisions. I also feel that the characters in the story had a Southern Gothic Literature Theme, if you will. In Where, there were several elements of Southern Gothic Literature. For example the rape of Connie was definitely a significant tragedy. The setting was very eerie and gloomy. I feel like the incident that occurred was set up and could have been prevented. What I mean by this is when Connie was left home alone, it was a set up because she was obviously more vulnerable. It could have been prevented by Connie not being so “out there.” I don’t mean to be disrespectful or minimize the seriousness or sadness of what happened to her but she always went out looking for older guys. My last thought is that Mockingbird had a more definite ending meaning that it was clear and Where was more suspenseful in that you had to inference what happened.
ReplyDelete-Julia Germani
When a work speaks directly to your sense of personal safety, you will assuredly have this reaction. Thankfully, many of the darker elements of "Mockingbird" seem snugly in the past. So it doesn't seem to 'scream' so loudly at us.
DeleteIn my opinion, To Kill a Mocking Bird and Where are You Going both measure up as Gothic works because they have several elements of it. For example both stories settings are in a remote area or estate. Also, in both stories there is a lot of terror and one of the elements is high in emotion. In addition in Where are You Going there are is a women in distressed which was Connie who was afraid of Arnold Friend. In addition, there was an obsessive love which was Arnold Friend who was obsessed with Connie. In To Kill a Mocking Bird there was injustice in the story. There was injustice in the story because when Tom Robinson was on his trial he was found guilty. However, Tom should have been not guilty because he didn’t commit the crime and he was still guilty. Therefore, in To Kill a Mocking Bird there was injustice. I believe that To Kill a Mocking Bird gothic than the other. In my opinion it’s more gothic because I believe that there are more Southern Gothic elements in To Kill a Mocking Bird. For instance, To Kill a Mocking Bird has injustice and has words that evoke gloom and doom and Where are You Going does not. Therefore, I believe that both stories are gothic and that To Kill a Mocking Bird more gothic.
ReplyDeleteFunny, how your peers agree. "Where are you going..." is more violent, and certainly just as dark. But in "Mockingbird," the injustices of life, the threat to the children, the death of Tom, all add up to a much more pessimistic and Gothic tone.
DeleteI feel as if Where are you Going, where is the theme has a more distinguishable gothic genre even though To Kill a Mockingbird is just as much of one as it is. Both settings are remote mockingbird takes place in a secluded southern town and where are you going takes place mostly at a house with little around it in a small southern town. Mockingbird always gives a feel of suspense at the most crucial times like the showdown at the county jail or when Mr. Ewell dies. Since where are you going is such a short story most of the whole thing is full of suspense, with not knowing how Arnold will react to Connie’s words or if she will take his bait or smarten up. In to kill a mockingbird Boo Radley becomes the ghostly legend that models and average Southern Gothic Story. He creates an airy mystery that looms over the entire story in till it’s dramatic finish. In where are you going there is the mystery of who Arnold Friend is and how he could possible know so much about Connie. In both books there are also a lot of emotions that run high. Since mockingbird is a much longer story the emotions and feelings of the characters are able to more easily develop while in the other story all the emotions change extremely quickly and are more in the moment. These books are both great examples of Southern Gothic Literature because they have a mystery, develop many emotions from their characters, create suspense, are eerie, and create a feeling of doom for the characters.
ReplyDeleteGreat point! Mockingbird, being a novel of nearly 300 pages, has a great deal more time to play with our emotions, while Joyce Carol Oates propels us into terror pretty much right away.
DeleteEmily Fernandes
ReplyDeleteTo Kill A Mocking Bird and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” are classified as Southern gothic works of American literature that have elements that fit with this category of writing. “Where Are you going, Where have you been?” is considered Southern gothic because it demonstrates the idea of Connie being a damsel in distress when she is being approached by Arnold Friend in an unwanted manner and she can’t do anything to stop him from hurting her or her family. It is also considered a Southern Gothic short story because the storyline is suspenseful and one of the characters is committing a crime or causing injustice. Emotions run high when Connie is realizing that Arnold has been stalking her and her family and that she is about to be victimized in a crime. The novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” is labeled as Southern Gothic because the setting is in a remote and eerie southern town called Maycomb and the people in the town are superstitious. Mayella Ewell is the damsel in distress in this book because she is labeled as the victim of rape and assault. Also the setting is suspenseful and there are several injustices committed. I think To Kill a Mockingbird is more of a gothic novel than “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” because it has more of the contributing factors of being Southern Gothic than the other.
You may be right. Interesting, isn't it, how the short story seems so much more modern, even though they were written within a few years of each other!
DeleteBoth “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Where are you going…” can all be classified under the genre of Southern Gothic as they both include general ideas associated with this literature such as setting, theme, and high emotion. In both books, the authors makes the setting remote, Maycomb being a small isolated community, and Connie’s house, located at a distance from her neighbors. These pieces also create a mysterious, almost eerie environment for both settings which create suspense and lets tension rise as the book progresses. In Maycomb, there is Boo Radley, rumored to be mentally unstable and the neighborhood creep, as well as the Ewell family who distanced themselves from the community and lived a secretive life with his family. In Connie’s case, Arnold Friend’s sly ways led to the climax of the story, but only after building tension from the mysterious and coincidental time at which he arrived. Emotion also plays a big role in both stories, the reader feels as if Tom is cheated by injustice (a major theme in both of the Southern Gothic literature pieces) and the racism that plagued Maycomb, and Connie, who was too young and too innocent to be taken by men like Arnold Friend. Also, throughout the story, both authors use diction and romantic themes in order to help develop the plot. Romance between Dolphus Raymond and a black woman, and the obsessive love that Arnold holds for Connie help expose important points in each story. Although each story is unique and cover different themes, each can be classified as Southern Gothic as many of the similarities in the text help convey similar ideas.
ReplyDelete-Tyler Balon
You've drawn so many parallels, and quite effectively!
DeleteThe novel To Kill a Mockingbird and the short story “Where are you going, Where have you been?” are examples of Southern Gothic literature for many reasons. First of all, the setting is eerie. In To Kill a Mockingbird the setting is in this old secluded town centered on the old Radley House and in “Where are you going, Where have you been?” one part of the setting is in an eerie alley. Secondly, the atmospheres of both stories are suspenseful. In To Kill a Mockingbird you are waiting to learn about Boo and in “Where are you going, Where have you been?” you are waiting to see what Connie does and what happens to her. Lastly, in both there is an unexplained event or occurrence. In To Kill a Mockingbird you do not know what happened to Boo for most of the book and in “Where are you going, Where have you been?” you do not know what happens to Connie. In my opinion “Where have you been, Where are you going?” and To Kill a Mockingbird are equally as gothic because they both contain creepy and suspicious characters. In “Where are you going, Where have you been?” the character Arnold Friend is creepy because he knows everything about Connie and her family. In To Kill a Mockingbird the character Boo Radley is creepy and suspicious because everyone has heard rumors that he stabbed his father and he would sneak around and sort of stalk Jem and Scout.
ReplyDelete-Anna
Yes: many of the elements are put to use, with strikingly different results!
DeleteEven though both stories - To Kill a Mockingbird and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? – are very different in many ways, they both are known as Southern Gothic Literature. Throughout both stories, we, the readers, are always looking for answers; the author basically keeps us in suspense. Also, both stories have a death or tragedy that had taken place. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the death was Tom Robinson due to him being accused of rape. The tragedy that occurred in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been was that Connie was being forced to go with Arnold Friend, the creepy man that was in love with her. These tragedies are one of the elements of Southern Gothic Literature. Also, in both the short story and novel, there was plenty of anxiety, fear, and anger that the characters where feeling. Injustice was used in both stories, also, because of Tom Robinson being accused, charged, and then convicted for something he did not do and because of Connie getting forced to do something she did not want to do by Arnold threatening to harm her family. However, in my opinion, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been is more Gothic because it has more elements that relate to the genre. I feel like the setting of this short story was more gloomy and eerie compared to To Kill A Mockingbird because of how they explained that Connie’s driveway was very long and rocky. That makes the story also more suspenseful. There is also a woman who is frightened or threatened because Connie is scared and fearful of Arnold Friend. Last but not least, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been has “romantic theme” because of obsessive love; Arnold Friend is obsessed with Connie because he knows everything about her and her family and he is in love with her because he thinks she is “cute”. All in all, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been is more Southern Gothic compared to To Kill A Mockingbird because it contains more elements and reasoning to why it is this genre.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Salvadore
Very good! Don't forget: if it were not for Boo, Scout and Jem might've been murdered on Halloween!
DeleteDerek Degnan
ReplyDeleteFor a work to be classified as Southern Gothic, many requirements must be seen throughout the work of literature, and "Where are you Going, Where Have you Been" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" fit these requirements. In "Where are you Going,m Where Have you Been", a teenage girl named Connie stays home alone after turning down the offer to go to her aunt's house for a cookout. She hears a car roll up the long, gravel driveway leading up to her house. She looks out the door and sees a man with boots and long black hair standing in front of her house. She saw him in the parking lot of a mall the previous day, when he said to her, "Gonna get you, baby." This is a requirement of foreshadowing, saying that Arnold will do something "weird".The man's name is Arnold Friend, and he is a very suspicious character. He refuses to leave the property unless Connie goes for a ride with him in his car. This is where the story meets one of the requirements, which is "Emotions run high." Connie becomes nervous, and very afraid for her life. She becomes lightheaded, her hands begin to shake and cannot function well. This meets another requirement of, "Damsel in distress." Ever since Connie's parents left and she was home alone, the setting became eerie and the atmosphere becomes suspenseful. Enough about "Where are you Going, Where Have you Been", time to move on to the classic Southern Gothic Novel "To Kill a Mockingbird". The whole story is one big adventure about how Jem Finch broke his arm, but it's much more than that. He and his sister Scout were told a ghostly legend (requirement for Southern Gothic) about how Boo Radley was grounded to stay inside his home for life by his mean father for doing "bad things", and one day Boo stabbed his father in the leg with a pair of scissors. This legend is widely known around town, and gives the surrounding area surround the Radley Place an eerie and suspicious feeling (another requirement). These two pieces of literature both fit the requirements needed to be classified as Southern Gothic.
Boo is named "Boo" for a good reason. For all intents and purposes, he is a ghost, since no one sees him but everyone knows he's there!
DeleteAlthough they may seem very different, To Kill a Mockingbird and “Where are you going, where have you been?” are both categorized as Southern Gothic literature. This is because as one of the elements state, eerie or remote. In Mockingbird Maycomb County is very secluded and isolated from the rest of the South and “Where are you going…” takes on an eerie or creepy setting once further into the story. This remoteness and eeriness creates a lot of suspense and mystery to the story. There always seems to be something happening that the reader does not fully know or understand. Another element of Gothic literature is when there is a ghostly legend within the story. In To Kill a Mockingbird Boo Radley, who is never seen by the town, is the ghostly legend because after a while Scout stars to wonder if he is even living in that house. For all she knows, up until the end of the book, he could be dead or moved out. The ghostly legend in “Where are you going…” is Arnold Friend because he was mysterious and barely anything was known about him. There was also quite a bit of foreshadowing in both stories to usually inquire that something bad was going to happen. For example, in “Where are you going…” when Connie leaves the restaurant and a boy says to her “Gonna Get you, baby,” the author is foreshadowing that, that character, Arnold Friend, is going to appear again. Since the author mentioned this character it is assumed that there is some sort of importance there. The emotions of each story definitely run high and are explained in great detail like in the short story, the narrator goes into depth and seems to exaggerate what is felt. There is also injustice in each story. It is most noticeable in To Kill a Mockingbird because of the trial and how unfair the jury had been. Overall though “Where are you going…” seemed to be a more gothic because there was more suspense and because it was shorter the author seemed to be sure to get out each element of Southern Gothic Literature and it is more noticeable because it can be read all together. However, in To Kill a Mockingbird there is less suspense and since it is not read all at once it does not seem to contain each component of Southern Gothic Literature.
ReplyDeleteYes! Both of these works are gothic, but in strikingly different ways.
DeleteJillian Anter
ReplyDelete"Mockingbird" and "Where Are You Going..." both measure up as Gothic works for many reasons. First off, both the settings are either eerie or remote Southern places because in "To Kill a Mockingbird" Maycomb County is very far away from other counties and is isolated, and in "Where are you Going..." the setting is in a creepy "dark" town, not like normal towns. Also, both sources are very suspenseful because the plot or problem does not really get resolved, and there is no happy ending. Next, in "Mockingbird" Boo Radley is the unexplained ghostly legend that makes the town curious. In "Where Are You Going..." Connie is the wonder of the story in a sense because when she left nobody knew where she was, which is what the title means. A very important part of the Southern Gothic literature is the feeling and emotion that occurs throughout the text. There is a feeling of terror or fear that both of the main characters, Scout and Connie, experience. Whether they fear for themselves, like Connie, or for their family, like Scout fearing for his father. In my opinion, "Mockingbird" is more of a work of Southern Gothic Literature because Scout feels terror, anxiety, a feeling of doom, and excessive love at some point throughout the novel. I feel as if the emotions that Connie experiences in "Where Are You Going..." are limited because what she feels is mostly fear and regret because of what the man was putting her through. That is how both "To Kill a Mockingbird", and "Where Are You Going..." can be classified as Gothic works.
Very good points about the settings, both of which are rural and remote.
DeleteVictoria lane
ReplyDeleteTo kill a Mocking Bird and “Where are You Going” fit into the category of Gothic Works. The genera Gothic Works is a story that includes something horrifying, people threaten, and confusion. These two stories, To Kill a Mocking Bird and “Where are You Going” portray the requirements of the genera gothic works. Both of the stories had characters confused and horrified. In To Kill a Mocking Bird the characters such as Jem and Scout where terrified of Boo Radleys house. They were confused about why Boo never came out and what the real story behind it all was. In “Where are You Going” a girl name Connie met some knew people but after a little she started becoming more and more confused about who they really were. Once you got more into the story you finally found out they were not who they said they were and they started to threaten Connie. In my opinion the story “Where are You Going” was more “gothic”. I think this because the story itself had more of the requirements to fit into the gothic genera and we as the readers could focus in on those points in the story more because they were such a big part of the story.
You are right! There is much confusion in both stories. Luckily, for Jem and Scout, the confusion does not kill them in the end.
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