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Flannery O'Connor's View of Southern Theology

            A Good Man is Hard to Find is a collection of intriguing short stories written by Flannery O'Connor. They were first published in 1948. O'Connor's stories reflected life in the South. Most of her stories are told through the eyes of either a child or an elderly person. At first glance, they all seem very separate the only thing in common, the bizarre twists at the end of every piece. But then the reader will notice the common thread of great theological meaning in all of her works.
             O'Connor was a strict Roman Catholic but this was not the point of view she wrote from. She wrote about the more exaggerated faith of the evangelical, unsophisticated, protestant South and how their religion affected their lives when they found themselves in strange situations. "Her characters are [ ] spiritually primitive and afflicted in both mind and body [.] God is the sole reality in their lives, and this is so even when they repudiate Him- (Allen 255). She was a deeply religious woman who felt the need to sometimes horrify the reader with wild characters and her startling endings in order to get across her theological ideas. Doctor Thelma J. Shinn, a Professor of English and Women's Studies at Purdue University, wrote " And her criminals, her misfits and prophets, are closer to salvation because they are in the spiritual realm: they are Evil and are fighting a religious battle within themselves- their belief or disbelief in Christ is a matter of life and death- (375). For instance, in the title story, an escaped convict, The Misfit compares himself to Christ. He felt he was misunderstood. "It was the same case with Him as with me except He hadn't committed any crime and they could prove I committed one [.]" (27). He was persecuted harshly and his bitter feelings towards his prosecutors were what led him to become a convict. The Misfit thought that like Christ, he was not treated right "they never shown me my papers [.


Essays Related to Flannery O'Connor's View of Southern Theology

1. Commentary on Flannery O'Connor's short stories

As a Christian writer, Flannery O'Connor's work is message-oriented. ... (Galloway) O"Connor's deep acknowledgment of her family's Southern legacy plays a strong role in the attitudes of her short stories. ... O'Connor's tales offer a sickening and repeatedly austere image of the clash between conventional Southern Christian ideals and the ever-changing social landscape of the twentieth century. ... (Baumgaertner, 24) Flannery remained devoted to Catholicism throughout her life, and this along with the consciousness of her own imminent mortality gives worthy...

  • Word Count: 1784
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Flannery O

Flannery O" Connor is thought by many to be in a league of her own. ... Not long after her college days, some time in the late 50's, Flannery was diagnosed with Lupus (Charters, 1116). While she was in Milledgeville to undergo treatment, Flannery began to write (Charters, 1116). To become a story, a literary piece must have eight elements of fiction: Plot, Setting, Point of View, Characterization, Style/Tone, Theme, Conflict, and Symbols. ... In "Good Country People", the three southern females find themselves contradicting their southern morals and beliefs of their sel...

  • Word Count: 443
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Redemption in A Good Man is Hard to Find

Flannery O'Connor was often shocked to find how people interpreted her stories. ... Flannery O'Connor was most sincere in her Catholicism and her view of its expression in her fiction. ... The fury that lights up her art keeps "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" from being reduced to a theological exercise. ... Her fuzzy fantasies about a southern mansion combined with some assistance from the smuggled cat manage to cause the car wreck. ... Though he claims to be confused about the extent of his own guilt, his view of human nature is certainly more direct than the view of the grandmother an...

  • Word Count: 2384
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Grade Level: High School

4. A Goodman Is Hard To Find

Flannery O'Connor uses Christianity as a fundamental thesis in her work, "A Good Man is Hard to Find."" The exploration for the meaning of the Christian faith in the story is based on O'Connor's view that contemporary society was drastically changing for the worst. ... O'Connor views the lifestyles of the "elite- Southern people to be a fazade. ... The grandmother displays the proper image of a southern Christian woman in the presence of other people. ... The significance of Christian theologies is the unification of the three Divine Spirits: The Father, Son, and Holy Spiri...

  • Word Count: 732
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

5. A Good Man is Hard to Find

Flannery O'Connor was deeply concerned with the values and the direction of the youth at the time. ... "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is representative of Flannery O'Connor's concern for the priorities and values of the 1940s. An example of this, in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" involves the grandmother's strong, southern heritage. ... Then, the Misfit, who she "knows: is of quality, southern blood, shoots her and her family, despite her belief in southern hospitality. ... Most of the characters in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and, probable her other works, go through so...

  • Word Count: 361
  • Approx Pages: 1

6. Flannery O'Connor and Southern Racism

Flannery O'Connor's characterization of racist characters in "The Geranium," "The Barber" and "Judgment Day," illustrate the existence of racism in the post World War II South. ... He is an interesting character, and from the first page we get the sense that he's quite arrogant, full of his own opinions, certain that his views are the right ones, and very racist towards colored folks. ... Flannery O'Connor very well could have been talking about the Civil Rights movement in the story "The Barber." ... A good writer does no less" (...

  • Word Count: 2519
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Bible As Literature

Allison Tietz Eng 245 July 8, 2002 Midterm #2 Question four of the midterm asks us to use an example from each of our readings and set aside all historical and theological questions and compare what it is that we see in the two passages, both similarities as well as what we gain from the reading. I believe that by setting aside everything that you have previously read about the Bible, the lessons, the history, the morality and theology, and look at its style and technique you can then evaluate its form and you can also see how similar it is to other works of literature. ... You can...

  • Word Count: 1050
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Character's of Flannery O'Connor

In the story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor, Baileys mother views herself as a respectable and wise southern lady.However, to the reader, her actions reveal that she is in fact another person.We know this to be true because she primps excessively, lies, uses racist language, and mistakenly tells that she recognizes The Misfit. ... The author uses informal language, different points-of-view, foreshadowing, and irony to depict the satire of southern religious beliefs throughout the entire piece. To begin with, the author uses heavy informal language such as sou...

  • Word Count: 760
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. The Paradox and Brilliance of Flannery O'Connor

According to literary researcher Patrick Galloway, one must be "initiated to her trademarks when reading Flannery O'Connor's novels or short stories." ... In Flannery O'Connor's characters, Laurence Enjolras analyzes the fictitious personalities O'Connor has created. ... Hopewell, show the symbolism used by Flannery O'Connor. ... Like the writings of Flannery O'Connor, the art made by Bosch is confusing, distorted, and disturbing. ... Di Renzo observes that this indirect and alternative way of making religious statements is quite similar in the literature o...

  • Word Count: 2129
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Has Bibliography

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