As a Southern Gothic writer, Flannery O’Connor focuses on the grotesque world of a plethora of characters including Harry/Bevel, Mr. Head, Nelson, and others. The world of Harry/Bevel is particularly interesting because of the way O’Connor mirrors his transition from a sheltered, abstract life to one of harsh reality through art. Quickly, his worldview is shaken by reality and religion as he is exposed to the real world and baptized. Harry/Bevel, with both names, effectively loses his naïve view of the world as Harry and is exposed to the harsh reality of the world as Bevel. While she does not use physical pictures (that is the reader cannot see the artwork) her description of the various artworks in Harry/Bevel’s life helps the reader better
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One major point Sykes include is the idea that “the characters of O’Connor and Percy are waiting (whether they know it or not) for God to break into a world that is otherwise petty and feckless” (2). This abstract art shows the reader the petty and feckless world of Harry/Bevel. According to the website Artistsnetwork, the beauty of abstract art is that “[it] can mean anything you want it to in your personal work” and the “continuing interest in abstract art lies in its ability to inspire our curiosity about the reaches of our imagination” (website). In Harry’s world, although not Harry’s world as Bevel, these are the sort of things his parents approve of and want. While imagination appears as a relatively good idea, and is not inherently bad, the neglect of the real world, and subsequently Harry, eventually causes Harry/Bevel’s perception to shatter when he is exposed to the real world and, indirectly, causes his death. Mrs. Connin’s preference of traditional art over this abstract one immediately lets the readers know that her world is vastly different than Harry’s and his parents. She is the vehicle “for God to break into [Harry/Bevel’s] world” (Syke …show more content…
Connin shows Harry/Bevel the book “The Life of Jesus Christ for Readers Under Twelve.” Unlike his picture books which had depictions of the pink and happy pigs, this book contained one picture of the “carpenter [Jesus] driving a crowd of pigs out of a man. They were real pigs, gray and sour-looking…” (O’Connor 160). Not only is Harry/Bevel yet again exposed to the real pigs, but it is inside of a picture book. This is similar to what Syke refers to as O’Connor’s typical “climactic image … which the rest of the story points as a kind of prophetic finger … That is, O’Connor hopes to bring about an encounter with divine mystery that overwhelms the reader and defies comprehension” (4). Although the man in the book is probably happy to have Jesus drive the pigs out from him, the association of the rough pigs, who have already bothered Harry/Bevel, allows Harry/Bevel to see the rough truth of the
One major point Sykes include is the idea that “the characters of O’Connor and Percy are waiting (whether they know it or not) for God to break into a world that is otherwise petty and feckless” (2). This abstract art shows the reader the petty and feckless world of Harry/Bevel. According to the website Artistsnetwork, the beauty of abstract art is that “[it] can mean anything you want it to in your personal work” and the “continuing interest in abstract art lies in its ability to inspire our curiosity about the reaches of our imagination” (website). In Harry’s world, although not Harry’s world as Bevel, these are the sort of things his parents approve of and want. While imagination appears as a relatively good idea, and is not inherently bad, the neglect of the real world, and subsequently Harry, eventually causes Harry/Bevel’s perception to shatter when he is exposed to the real world and, indirectly, causes his death. Mrs. Connin’s preference of traditional art over this abstract one immediately lets the readers know that her world is vastly different than Harry’s and his parents. She is the vehicle “for God to break into [Harry/Bevel’s] world” (Syke …show more content…
Connin shows Harry/Bevel the book “The Life of Jesus Christ for Readers Under Twelve.” Unlike his picture books which had depictions of the pink and happy pigs, this book contained one picture of the “carpenter [Jesus] driving a crowd of pigs out of a man. They were real pigs, gray and sour-looking…” (O’Connor 160). Not only is Harry/Bevel yet again exposed to the real pigs, but it is inside of a picture book. This is similar to what Syke refers to as O’Connor’s typical “climactic image … which the rest of the story points as a kind of prophetic finger … That is, O’Connor hopes to bring about an encounter with divine mystery that overwhelms the reader and defies comprehension” (4). Although the man in the book is probably happy to have Jesus drive the pigs out from him, the association of the rough pigs, who have already bothered Harry/Bevel, allows Harry/Bevel to see the rough truth of the