Storytelling involves conflict, and external conflicts often have their roots in internal conflicts, whether shared or individuated. Resolving conflict often involves actions based on insufficient information, and that itself causes more conflict. This is not unique to american fiction; german fiction has been squirming along since Goethe and french writers are notorious for mining class differences. The writing styles and genres may be different across languages, but the human condition remains unchanged.

But don't you see something about A Rose for Emily, Desiree's Baby, A Good Man Is Hard to Find etc. that links them together in a particular way? As opposed to Frankenstein or l'Etranger or The Metamorphoses or whatever.

Maybe I was reaching though. My original thought was that Oates' obsession with this kinda thing weirds me out when she does it. Coz the twist comes a bit later in the story and it leaves me almost like dry-mouthed/weirded out.

Ah, I went for the generalization rather than specifically Oates (whom I have not read).

it leaves me almost like dry-mouthed/weirded out - I think many authors (including non-fiction) would be pleased to know they achieved that effect, regardless of genre. The only possible exception may be Harlequin romances, but from what I have read, even those have been evolving since the mid-90s.

"I was in the shower thinking of Joyce Carol Oates" and "I was thinking of Joyce Carol Oates in the shower" mean such very different things.