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ABSTRACT
This paper seeks critically to show the adequacy of the southern literature in explaining the
racism and violence that existed in Southern America and the nation at large. The article notes
that there was widespread racism in the America which triggered extreme violence not only
among the whites but the blacks as well. Before explaining the major themes, the paper will
begin with a brief overview of the southern literature. The paper will then expose the two
primary themes based on the respective time frame when the various pieces of southern literature
were produced. These time frames are categorized as follows: The Early and Antebellum
Literature, The last cause years, The Southern Renaissance as well as the post-world War II
literature. Collectively, the four phases serve as the best points of view through which one can
analyze the themes of racism and violence in primary Southern American Literature.

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The adequacy of the southern literature in defining racism and violence in
America
Racism and violence are among major social problems that affected the American
society, particularly the southern minority American populations. Given that the Southern
American communities have prolific storytelling ability, Manning (2) mentions that majority of
the southern literature writers have been able to capture the aspects of racism and violence in the
American population particularly the African-American population. This paper seeks to analyze
the adequacy of the southern literature in explaining racism and violence in America. To
adequately cover the subject matter well, the paper will begin by giving a brief overview of the
southern literature material. The paper will also discuss the themes of racism and violence as
evidenced in the literature. To comprehensively cover the subject well, the paper will discuss the
southern literature based on its production period. By addressing the two themes, the paper will
provide critical insights to individual and policy makers on the subject matter therefore help
formulate the most appropriate strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of the latter. Important to
mention, it is true that the southern literature centers on the themes of racism and violence
so as to create awareness among the American society regarding the subject and bring out the
negative implications of latter. Notably, the themes of racism and violence are vividly depicted
in primary southern literature materials.
The southern literature
The Southern literature, also commonly referred to as the literature of the American
South refers to the American literature made by writers from the Southern America or rather
literature discussing the Southern United States. From a geographical and historical point of

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view, the southern America consists of states such as Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina,
Mississippi, Southern Carolina, Texas and Kentucky. Additionally, pre-civil war definitions of
the American South include other states such as Missouri, Delaware, and Maryland.
Analytically, various themes are evident in the Southern literature. Primary southern
literature places a particular focus on various issues among them being the southern history, the
importance of the family unit, religion, racism and violence, the importance of community and
individual role within the community, social class, and southern dialect. Due the geographical
constituent of the southern literature as well as the similar histories of the southern America, the
primary southern literature shares the themes of slavery, Reconstruction as well as the American
civil wars. Despite these varied characteristics, the central themes in majority of the literature
include racism and violence (Kreyling, 7).
Racism and violence in Southern Literature
As pointed out earlier, the themes of racism and violence are common in the southern
literature. However, to comprehensively bring out the themes vividly, it is important to analyze
the southern literature with respect to their period of production. With this perspective, the
literature can be categorized into four distinct groups namely; the early and antebellum literature
of the 17th and 18th century, the lost cause years of the 19th century, and the southern
renaissance of the 1920’s as well as the post-world War II literature.
Early and Antebellum Literature
The early southern literature of the 17th and the 18th century produced several notable
works regarding racism and violence. Among the significant key figures in literature that
apparently brought out the two themes vividly include William Byrd 11’s with his book on

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secret plantation diary and Captain John Smith with his famous work, The founding of
Jamestown in 1610 and 1620. These two sets of recollections clearly bring out the aspects of the
suffering of slaves as well as the racism between the African American and whites.
The 19th century also was met with several notable recollections which clearly reflect on
violence aspects especially on the southern slaves. The antebellum literature produced after the
American independence showed the extensive slavery that existed in the southern community
especially with the expansion of slavery and plantation cotton fields. Among the several notable
writers who clearly depicted the suffering and violence among the African American slaves and
other white slaves include Paul Hamilton and his poems, Hugh Swinton Legare and William
Gilmore Simms. Afterward during the American Civil War, Simms produced a series of novels
that idealized the portraits of southern slavery. Among the key books produced by Simms that
showed the themes of violence include; The Sword and the Distaff, The anti-Uncle Tom’s Cabin,
The Yemassee and finally the Kinsmen.
In the southern region especially in the Chesapeake area, two primary pieces of literature
noted the existing racism and violence in the southern America. The novel Swallow Barn of John
Pendleton Kennedy depicted the slave violence that existed in the Virginia plantation life. Also,
The partisan Leader, a book produced by Nathaniel Beverley Tucker clearly showed the
guerrilla war that existed between the Federal Government and the secessionist army. During this
period, intense violence resulted in significant loss of life in the American population.
Although a majority of the southern writers were white, several notable black individuals
produced great collections. Perhaps the most famous black person was Frederick Douglass, who
clearly painted the picture of black slavery and their suffering in the south. Another key female

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figure during the antebellum period was Harriet Jacobs, with her commemorations of her slavery
experiences through her book, Incidents in the life of a slave girl. Williams Wells Brown, a
southern-born ex-slave wrote The President’s Daughter, which depicted the life of its main
Character and his black mistress. The book showed the st...