the end.

Caldwell's true strength lies in his dialogue. He often assigns his main characters a distinctive "tag" line—an oath or phrase that identifies them throughout the novel. For instance, Ty Ty frequently swears by "pluperfect hell"; Pluto Swint asserts, "And that's the truth"; Will Thompson is fixated on "turning on the power." Caldwell understands that repetition can build a cumulative effect, creating its own reality. Furthermore, his keen ear for dialect in his best works adds depth to the storytelling.

One of Caldwell's most remarkable narrative techniques is his use of an objective point of view. Likely influenced by his early training in journalism, Caldwell rarely interjects into the story he narrates. He does not overtly try to guide the reader's emotions. Instead, he presents events impartially, allowing readers to form their own interpretations. This approach is risky and has led some critics to accuse Caldwell of lacking empathy for his characters or understanding their situations. However, such criticisms are unwarranted, as Caldwell has clearly demonstrated in interviews, his nonfiction, and, upon careful reading, within the stories themselves. Assuming that Caldwell endorses his characters' actions or sees them merely as subjects of ridicule or horror is to misunderstand the true intent of his writing.

God's Little Acre and Tobacco Road (1932) are the works for which Caldwell is most often remembered. Both novels explore the human struggle against nature and the challenge of preserving one's humanity amidst relentless poverty. Of the two, God's Little Acre is likely the more accomplished. Growing up in Wrens, Georgia, Caldwell witnessed the dire conditions faced by sharecroppers and small farmers. Often malnourished, uneducated, and suffering from disease, they battled to survive. In 1931, a visit back to the area reminded him of these harsh realities, which had only worsened in his absence. Consequently, Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre were written out of his anger and desire to highlight these issues to the broader public. At the core of these books was a plea for change. Caldwell aimed to provoke and anger readers into action. He later reflected, "These were the pathetic people who existed in timeless agony without hope on earth... Their tragic lot was to have come into the world before the conscience of their fellow men rose to provide assistance and welfare for the unfortunate."

However, Caldwell did not seek to romanticize their suffering. Having seen too much reality, he could not pretend that poverty was somehow noble. He was determined to "put down on paper a satisfactory realistic image and interpretation of degradation as I had observed it." Though he felt deep compassion for the impoverished, he refused to distort the truth for false sympathy. In fact, he risked alienating readers by highlighting the potential dehumanization in dire circumstances. This sometimes made his characters appear bizarre or even darkly humorous, but, for Caldwell, this did not make them any less deserving of concern from his audience.

Caldwell asserts that he has consciously avoided modeling his writing after any other author. In his autobiography, With All My Might, he mentioned that he intentionally limited his reading for this reason. "Since I had so much writing of my own to try to accomplish, I could not bring myself to devote valuable time to reading the heralded masters of the past. Instead, I decided to select one book by a contemporary author as being representative of his work." Consequently, Caldwell claims not to have read likely influences such as Mark Twain or Jack London. However, in interviews, he acknowledged his early reliance on Sherwood Anderson, with whom he shares many similarities. He also expressed admiration for Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie (1900), Ellen Glasgow's Barren Ground (1925), and William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying (1930), all of which he read at the start of his career. Even if he didn't actually read Mark Twain, he emerged from the same Southern and Southwestern humor tradition that Twain did.

It's certainly challenging to categorize Caldwell within a single literary tradition. He exhibits traits of Southern humorists, naturalists, and writers concerned with social issues. His works contain intense sexual content but are seldom erotic. His tales can be shockingly violent and grotesque, yet the nightmares he portrays often stem from the modern absurd rather than Gothic horror. Despite the Southern elements in much of his work, his characters ultimately represent extreme versions of all people—lonely, isolated, confused, yet oddly courageous and resilient. It is likely best to consider Caldwell as an original, just as he aspired to be.

Besides God's Little Acre, Caldwell is perhaps most famously known for Tobacco Road (1932). This novel is more raw and harsh, yet it effectively depicts the dehumanization brought on by poverty. The Jeeter Lesters are driven to act like animals due to their dire environment and conditions. Their overwhelming hunger dominates their lives. Caldwell illustrates that the Lesters are also emotionally deprived: When Jeeter's disfigured daughter, Ellie May, tries to attract her brother-in-law, Lov Bensey, her attempts at seduction are tragic, underscoring her desperate need for love—a need shared by all these disconnected characters. The novel criticizes the society that permits such conditions, blending comedy with horror.

Less renowned is Caldwell's fifth novel, Journeyman (1935). Set in the desolate area of Rocky Comfort, Georgia, this book critiques the deceitful aspects of certain fundamentalist religions. As a child, Caldwell traveled with his preacher father and witnessed many of these sects, most of which his father disapproved of. In this story, a traveling evangelist named Semon Dye ominously arrives in a cloud of black, foul-smelling smoke and goes on to deceive, seduce, and bewilder the locals. The book's final section vividly depicts a bizarre revival meeting where spiritual conversion and sexual ecstasy are deeply intertwined. Semon Dye, as his name suggests, is devilish—a modern version of a satanic con artist masquerading as a preacher. Journeyman remains one of Caldwell's finest works.

Another overlooked novel is Trouble in July (1940), a powerful critique of Southern racism. It starts as a comedy but culminates in a grim lynching that is even more disturbing because the victim, shaped by society, participates in his own death. Also noteworthy from this phase of Caldwell's career are the warm and humorous stories in Georgia Boy (1943) and his biting perspective on postwar America in Tragic Ground (1944).

Many critics dismiss Caldwell's post-World War II novels, some of which lack inspiration. However, Caldwell considers a few among his best, and when evaluated independently, they offer a notable exploration of alienation and solitude in the contemporary world. Novels such as The Sure Hand of God (1947), Love and Money (1954), Gretta (1955), and The Last Night of Summer (1963) merit reconsideration.

Jack Kirkland's adaptation of Caldwell's work, Tobacco Road, debuted in 1933 and remains the most notable. Though it leaned more towards comedy than Caldwell preferred, it has become a staple in modern theater and continues to be staged. In contrast, the stage versions of Journeyman in 1938 and Georgia Boy in 1945 did not succeed. Several of Caldwell's novels have also been adapted into films. The 1941 film Tobacco Road, directed by John Ford, drew more from the play than the original novel. Caldwell disapproved of the numerous changes in its plot and tone, which led to disappointment among viewers. However, the 1958 film adaptation of God's Little Acre by Anthony Mann was more successful. Caldwell was involved in this project, although Phillip Yordan wrote the screenplay, and he was satisfied with the outcome. Time magazine even ranked it among the top ten films of the year. Additionally, Claudelle Inglish was released as a moderately successful film in 1961.