16TH Street Baptist Church Bombing, Birmingham, Ala., 1963, GOTHIC fiction (Literary genre), and RACISM in literature
Abstract
The article discusses the presentation of Southern Gothic and spacial form in the book "Four Spirits: A Novel," by Sena Jeter Naslund. The book revolves around the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963 that murdered four young girls. The author provides a brief social history of Birmingham after the U.S. Civil War. The author explains how the spacial form structure of the plot balances four sets of events. The theme of community reconciliation in the book is also discussed.
New Yorker. 8/10/2009, Vol. 85 Issue 24, p26-32. 5p. 1 Black and White Photograph.
Subjects
FINCH, Atticus (Fictitious character), POLITICIANS, RACISM in literature, AFRICAN Americans in literature, SOCIAL history, and ALABAMA -- Politics & government -- 1951-
Abstract
The article discusses Alabama governor "Big" Jim Folsom and author Harper Lee, author of the book "To Kill a Mockingbird," and racial injustice in the state during the mid-20th century. Folsom's lack of prejudice against African Americans is discussed. Folsom's autobiographer, George Sims, author of "The Little Man's Best Friend," shares information about Folsom and his views on racial equality. Lee's character Atticus Finch is discussed as is the novel's courtroom scene.
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