23 English eng Goldstein, Philip Contributor <p>The article examines <span data-start="727" data-end="833" style="">how Faulkner’s <em data-start="744" data-end="763">Absalom, Absalom!</em> and Toni Morrison’s <em data-start="784" data-end="793">Beloved</em> can be interpreted as Gothic romances</span> through the lens of <span data-start="854" data-end="882" style="">Black feminist criticism</span>. It challenges traditional literary canon assumptions by highlighting how these works engage with themes of trauma, race, and history in ways that disrupt conventional (often Euro-centric and male-dominated) interpretations of the Gothic genre. The analysis shows that <em data-start="1152" data-end="1161" style="">Beloved</em>—a novel deeply rooted in the historical trauma of slavery—transforms Gothic elements to foreground Black female experience and collective memory. The piece contributes to broader conversations in literary studies about who and what should constitute the literary canon, emphasizing the centrality of Black feminist perspectives in understanding American literature.&nbsp;<br></p> The Johns Hopkins University Press Fall 2004/Spring 2005 pdf ISSN 0884-2949 Literary criticism Black Feminism and the Canon: Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!" and Morrison's "Beloved" as Gothic Romances mixed material The Johns Hopkins University Press