The Ethnogothic

Introduction

• Recently read Bitter Root Vol. 1 by David Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Green.
• John Ira Jennings and Stanford Carpenter's concept of the EthnoGothic, from the back matter essay in Bitter Root.
• EthnoGothic: speculative narratives engaging with racially oriented psychological traumas using Gothic tropes.

Race and Gothic Literature

• Race as a key element in Gothic literature.
• Works like Bitter Root, Cyborg, Milestone's Dakoteverse, and Truth: Red, White, and Black through the EthnoGothic lens.

Key Concepts from Jennings and Carpenter

• EthnoGothic turns societal perceptions of Black people as grotesque monsters on its head.
• Explores the notion of white people being afflicted with a disease, turning them into monstrous demons.

Examples from Cyborg

• Technosapiens and Robert Zorroinski as monsters manifesting racism and hatred.
• Victor Stone cures them by removing the disease.

Bitter Root and Historical Context

• Set during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance.
• The Sangeryes cure monsters (jinoo) of the hatred disease.
• Jinoo attack Black couples, but after curing, they revert to white individuals.

Encounter with Police

• Cullen and Berg interact with policemen, framed to depict potential monstrous transformation due to racism.

Mississippi Scene

• Ford saves a Black man from the Klan, who turn into monsters during the confrontation.
• Discussion on whether the jinoo can be cured or if eradication is necessary.

Questions Raised by Bitter Root

• Human nature and transformation through racism.
• Internalized racism among the oppressed.

Truth: Red, White, and Black

• Lieutenant Merritt's changing appearance as a manifestation of racism.
• Shift from optimistic during WWII to grotesque in later years.

Merritt’s Racism

• Merritt's racist ideology and its impact on his appearance.
• Connection to Hitler's racial cleansing ideas.

Conclusion

• EthnoGothic explores transmission of racist thought and its impact on individuals.
• Invitation for readers' thoughts and engagement.