SOL - Introduction to Southern Literature Lesson

One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, William Faulkner was a Nobel Prize-winning American novelist and short-story writer. The majority of his works take place in his home state of Mississippi. Faulkner is considered one of the most important writers of Southern literature, along with Mark Twain, Flannery O'Connor, Eudora Welty, and Tennessee Williams.

You will now read one of Faulkner's short stories, "A Rose for Emily." This story takes the reader into the life of Miss Emily Grierson. Miss Emily lives in a small town, and like most small towns, her business is the business of everyone else. The story takes us through her life, and we are left with a startling ending that always takes a moment to process. Feel free to use the study guide linked below to assist you with your reading.

"A Rose for Emily" Text Link Links to an external site.

"A Rose for Emily" Reading Guide Link Links to an external site.

Reading Assignment: "A Worn Path"

Eudora Welty was a southern American short story and novel writer who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for her book The Optimist's Daughter and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Like many lyric novelists, Welty is easy to read. However, as with most southern writers, Welty's humor, her use of the grotesque, and her dialogue are initially difficult for students, who tend to take her too literally and thus miss the fun she has. Welty's books often work the way folk or fairy tales do.

Please visit the link below to read Eudora Welty's short story "A Worn Path." As you read, focus on the characterization, setting, and plot. Also, please use the reading guide linked below to help develop your understanding of the story.

"A Worn Path" Text Link Links to an external site.

"A Worn Path" Reading Guide Link Links to an external site.

Reading Assignment: "Knoxville: Summer of 1915"

 James Agee was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and lived there for most of his early life. His father was killed in an automobile accident when Agee was six years old, and it is this experience that he relates in his novel, A Death in the Family, the opening of which is titled "Knoxville: Summer of 1915." Agee is also famous for another work, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, which is based on his years as a journalist during the Great Depression among sharecroppers in Alabama, where he traveled on assignment for Fortune magazine with famous photographer Walker Evans.

You will now read "Knoxville: Summer of 1915." As you read, listen to the rhythm of the sentences in your head. How does Agee re-create the Tennessee neighborhood of his childhood? Remember that this opening leads up to a story told by a six-year-old boy about the sudden death of his father and its effect on his family. What foreshadowing do you observe? You may also use the reading guide linked below to assess your understanding of the story as you read. Finally, you may want to listen to a performance of a musical piece composed by Samuel Barber and based on Agee's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915," also linked below.

"Knoxville: Summer of 1915" Text Link Links to an external site.

Links to an external site."Knoxville: Summer of 1915" Reading Guide Link Links to an external site.

"Knoxville: Summer of 1915" Musical Piece Link below

Self-Assessment

When you have finished reading all three stories in this lesson, use the following self-assessment to help you review.

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.