¶ … Revelation" by Flannery O'Connor
"God's Grace via Violence" is a Major, Controversial Theme in Flannery O'Connor's Work
Born in Savannah, Georgia on March 25, 1925 and deceased from Lupus at the age of 39, (Gordon), Flannery O'Connor led a brief but meaningful literal and literary life. Praised for attaining "an excellence not only of action but of interior disposition and activity' that struggled to reflect the goodness and love of God" (Gordon), O'Connor and her writings are earnestly studied to this day (Loyola University Chicago). Chief among the reasons for O'Connor's enduring popularity is her consistent use of symbolism and devices to explore humanity, God's grace and our relationship with God (Hub Pages: Eric Denby). "Revelation" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" are notable examples of O'Connor's sometimes-controversial "God's grace via violence" theme, which has been denounced by some but staunchly defended by O'Connor.
O'Connor's Recurring Use of "God's Grace Via Violence"
O'Connor's most controversial method is use of violence as an instrument of God's grace. In "Revelation," Mrs. Turpin's violent awakening from her self-satisfied, judgmental brand of Christianity begins when Mary Grace strikes her with a deliberately hurled book, accosts her with a howling "raw face" and chokes her (Unfolding Flannery O'Connor). Startled into believing Mary Grace knows her beyond their chance encounter, Mrs. Turpin asks, "What you got to say to me?" An unrepentant Mary Grace whispers, "Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart hog" (Unfolding Flannery O'Connor). Mrs. Turpin tries to continue her smug life but is repeatedly confronted by her new perceptions of her old life, for example, in seeing through the insincere flattery of her black farm hands (Unfolding Flannery O'Connor). Mrs. Turpin continues perceiving aspects of her life anew until she finally sees a vision of "souls tumbling toward heaven," led by "white trash…and bands of black niggers…and...
"You've got good blood! I know you wouldn't shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady.... "Lady,"...There were two more pistol reports and the grandmother raised her head like a parched old turkey hen crying for water and called, "Bailey Boy, Bailey Boy!" As if her heart would break. "Jesus was the only One that ever raised the
..if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life." [8] in O'Connor's case, that somebody was lupus. End notes. 1] O'Connor, Flannery. "A Good Man is Hard to Find." Archived at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/goodman.html 2] Knickerbopcker, Eric. "Flannery O'Connor: Heaven Suffereth Violence" Available at http://www.mrrena.com/flannery.shtml 3] O'Connor, Flannery. "Everything that Rises Must Converge." Archived at http://www.geocities.com/cyber_explorer99/oconnorconverge.html 4] O'Connor, Flannery. "A Good Man is Hard to Find." Archived at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/goodman.html 5] Galloway, Patrick. "The
Flannery O'Connor Writing is an ancient art, used from long ago to convey various aspects, including entertainment, education, recording of history, critiquing and rebuking, writing revelations and many other purposes. There are various forms of writing, in which authors engage to put forth their feelings and intention. Additionally, history has many prolific and congruent writers who made names for themselves through writing instinctively about various themes and issues. Among the writers
Flannery O'Connor was born in Savannah, in the Deep South-East of the United States in 1925. Her adolescence was marked by the death of her father, from whom she later inherited the disease, deadly enemy with whom she fought, without surrender, for a lifetime. (Ann, pp74-78) However, her childhood was marked by more or less serene moments; she was taken to be, at the age of 6 years, a minor
He then utters the story's baffling last line, "It's no real pleasure in life" (O'Connor 1955b, 456). Thus, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" can be read as something of the inverse, or parallel, parable to "Good Country People": In the former, nihilism, or the absence of belief, wins out over faith, despite the Misfit's ugly admonition that his anti-programmatic perception of the world is ultimately not firm
Flannery O'Connor's literature has been described as grotesque, Catholic, Southern, and even gothic. Her work has also been recognized for its harsh humor and criticism of the south. Much of her literature reflects the hostilities she experienced against racist southern attitudes, social structures, and southern ways of life. She was awarded three O. Henry awards for short fiction during her life as well as numerous grants and fellowships. After her
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