Flannery O’Connor: The Southern Catholic Essay -- Authors

To many critics, Flannery OConnor was avery devout Catholic, of the (thirteenth century, OConnor described herself), suggests Mark Bosco a Jesuit priest, professor of Theology and English studies at Loyola University Chicago (qtd in Bosco 41). Along with being a native Georgian, OConnor experienced living, albeit short lived, during an earned run average of racial conflict. Although, she considered herself from another century, she was acutely aware of her twentieth century southern world, and furthermore she expressed it through her short stories. As Robert Drake a writer and Prof. at the University of Texas explains she wrote of what she knew to be at her own doorstep (Drake, Apocalyptic Perception 32), meaning that her strong religious values, southern roots and the societal issues of her times influences her writing. The aspects of OConnors life that are prevalently revealed as influences, are her strong religious values, southern roots and societal issues which are portrayed, in Good Country People and Everything That Rises Must Converge, through her characters. One aspect of OConnors life that is revealed as an influence, in writing the characters, in both short stories, is her strong religious values. As Drake points out, she was catholic in the oldest and truest sense of the word And was faithful to her Christian principles, which was evident in the redemption of the protagonists (Drake 32). For example in Good Country People, the point of redemption comes for cheer when she realizes that instead of her seducing Manly, as she had planned, he has made her suffer by stealing her wood leg, mocking her intelligence, then leaving her helpless in a barn. gaiety thought herself to be intellectually superior to Manly,... ...isiana pass on University Press.1980. xxvii. PrintDrake, Robert. Apocalyptic Perception. Flannery OConnor A Memorial. Ed. J.J. Quinn, S.J. Scranton University of Scranton Press, 1996. 29, 32-33. PrintHyman, Stanley. Flannery OConnor. S even American Women Writers of the Twentieth speed of light An Introduction. Ed. Maureen Howard. Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press, 1977. 323. PrintMeyers, Sr. Bertrande. Ways of Interpretation. Flannery OConnor A Memorial.Ed. J.J. Quinn, S.J. Scranton University of Scranton Press, 1996. 19. Print Paulson, Suzanne. Racial Conflict. Flannery OConnor A Study of the Short Story Fiction. North Dakota Minot State University. 1988. 69. PrintShackelford, D. Dean. Flannery OConnor. Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition (2001) 1-7. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 Apr. 2012.