Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

English

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Scraba

Committee Member

Andrew Donnelly

Committee Member

Carey Mickalites

Committee Member

Darryl Domingo

Abstract

Contemporary scholars and critics alike can agree that much of our understanding of Southern Gothic literature and its relation to the grotesque comes from Flannery O’Connor. O’Connor often portrays a transformation within that of grotesque characters (characters with moral flaws and/or physical disabilities). These transformations, depicted through use of pain, violence, and outlandish behavior, help to bring these grotesque characters closer to God, experiencing a sort of divine grace or redemption. Yet, often these grotesque characters are depicted in a way void of compassion. Despite describing fiction from the middle of the last century, most critics still rely on the grotesque as a defining term for the genre. However, I believe it is time to develop a new term for (and a different lens through which we study) Southern characters who represent the margins and boundaries in life that we often seek to ignore; characters who display qualities that turn away from the patterns of societal norms; characters who are misunderstood; characters who seek human connection and demand an examination of the human condition; characters who bridge the gap between the past and the present; and, characters who evoke compassion and empathy from their audience. The term I am creating for these characters is the empathetic-perverse. My dissertation will focus on closely analyzing four central texts and their use of the empathetic-perverse. These texts are: To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Valentine (Elizabeth Wetmore), No Country for Old Men (Cormac McCarthy), and August: Osage County (Tracy Letts). Each of the texts discussed in my dissertation exhibits characters who disrupt boundaries of some sort, be it related to gender, familial role, or societal expectation. These boundary disruptions are examples of the empathetic-perverse—characters, inhabiting places rooted in tension, who are depicted as flawed, while also invoking strong emotions from the reader. In an effort to shift from previous assumptions of O’Connor-like grotesque characters—characters to whom we, as readers, feel no empathy or connection—the empathetic-perverse character is one towards whom we are empathetic. Through these empathetic-perverse characters, we see the effects of the marginalization of the dominant discourses on gender and sexuality within the American South and their contribution to its patriarchal culture. Yet, it is also through these empathetic-perverse characters we see a display of strength, persistence, and opportunity in the ability to move forward from the past into a more diverse and progressive future.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access

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