Appalachian Literature: A Literary Analysis

Appalachian literature carries with it the current of a lack of proper health infrastructure and education in the Appalachian region. Although this theme is rarely addressed, novels such as Harriette Arnow’s The Dollmaker, Denise Giardina’s Storming Heaven, and Ann Pancake’s Strange as this Weather Has Been display situations that encapsulate this shortcoming. So called “facts” of life that are accepted within these novels – Gertie’s late night and frankly, dangerous travel to a doctor to acquire basic medical help for her son, Amos in The Dollmaker, for example – exemplify that, while it may not be intentional by these authors, the situations presented in their works nonetheless illustrate the systemic inadequacy of healthcare in real-world Appalachia.
Multiple scientific studies have shown a high prevalence of substance abuse, high obesity rates, and significant inconsistencies between health perceptions and actual health status in Appalachia.
This paper seeks to integrate the scenes and situations the authors’ characters face in their respective novels with the data and conclusions of modern day studies to address the issues health infrastructure and health education issues faced by Appalachia. The goal of the paper is to bring attention to these issues by presenting accurate data through the lens of the literature, so that we may begin a conversation to develop solutions to these
problems.