The novel Wise Blood by Flannery O"Conner is the grotesque story of Hazel Motes, a man on a spiritual quest to find truth. The novel is filled with a number of societal misfits such as con-artists and fake preachers as well as a plot induced with scenes of prostitution, self-mortification, and murder. However, it is in the midst and through all of this sin that the spiritually driven Hazel strives for redemption. It is the opinion of many is that Haze is not redeemed in the story, but he does reach this goal in the end. This road to redemption that Hazel experiences takes place through stages, which are Hazel's denial of Christ, searching for truth, and realization of the truth and need to repent.
Hazel Motes" first step toward salvation is the rejection Jesus Christ and sin. The conversation that Hazel has with Mrs. Hitchcock on the train to Taulkinham brings the reader directly to Hazel's intentions. As he says, "Obviously, you think you been redeemed." This shows his desperate desire to rid himself of any thoughts of redemption. It is by stating that Jesus was a liar, and that there was no fall, no redemption and no judgement, that Hazel reassures his own disbelief in sin itself and justifies his future "what-would-be-sinful" actions. These actions are also reassurance and proof to Hazel of his belief in The Church without Christ.
After Hazel has convinced himself that he no longer has any belief in Christian Redemption, he continues to practice "sinful" actions, but also starts to search for the truth. Although he is unsure of what the truth is, he finds that he despises those who are not true, such as Hoover Shoats who is out to make money off of The Church without Christ. In his fury over Shoats" heresy and scheme to profit from the Church without Christ, Hazel hunts down and kills the "true" Prophet who is a blasphemer and is "untrue". It is also in searching for the truth that Hazel becomes somewhat of a supremacist.
