MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

In American culture, there are few symbols more powerful that of the small town. Utilized as a political talking point (“Main Street USA”), a symbol of authenticity (“Real America”), and a force of marketing (home-cooked meals), the friendly small town exists across all media and eras of American history. An equally long tradition within American horror posits the small town as a site of danger and terror, where dread rituals are enacted out of tradition and familial loyalty. This trope (Stephen King called it “The Peculiar Little Town”) springs forth from the melting pot of American culture: the long-held policy of expansion and exploration, contrasting Europe’s, where towns and villages might have existed for centuries. American settlements could appear overnight; an early American traveler might encounter a village that wasn’t there a year prior, filled with individuals utterly alien to him. A sense of danger intermixed with vague familiarity: the uncanny given shape. This symbol is one of the most persistent within the American horror tradition, one which adapts to the fears of a given author and era. The small town is at once recognizable to us, while also being an alien space, a reflection of our collective youth warped by the dark secrets of American life.

By examining the symbols within these works (the small town) and how the respective authors subvert the ideal into something uncanny, a comprehension of each work’s significance, both historical and literary, can be gained. Context is key: Hawthorne rails against the glorification of Puritan communities, Jackson against the dangers engendered within tradition, while LeGuin tackles the problem on a global scale. These stories have changed our views about the Arcadian communities that allegedly form the basis of the American character, and a psychoanalytic reading allows understanding of the messages ingrained within these works.