Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the history of Georgia, one of the most populated states in the US. What are some of its major cities? How has its geographic location in the south shaped its history? What are some of the similarities and differences between the lifestyles of individuals in southern and northern states?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the geographic context of Berendt’s text: the lifestyle of Savannah, Georgia. As a former Confederate state that once relied on enslavement for economic purposes, Georgia’s history stands in contrast to northern industrial states. Berendt notes that Savannahians are particularly proud of their culture and see themselves as different from the rest of Georgia. However, The Duality of Traditional Savannah points to a double-standard; many communities are forced to live marginalized from mainstream society. For students with no prior knowledge on the state of Georgia, consider providing access to the first link below, which may be a helpful starting point for discussion.

• This entry from New Georgia Encyclopedia discusses the history of the state of Georgia.