Flannery O’Connor was raised in the racist, religious, and newly changing south. She lived through the civil rights movement, while being raised in a deeply religious, Christian home. She was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of twenty-five, and died from the disease at the age of thirty-nine. The way O’Connor grew up and the experiences she had have a huge presence in her short stories. David Huddle even stated in “The Singular Voice of Flannery O’Connor” that “the stories wouldn’t exist at all were it not for her religion” (Huddle 41). Flannery O’Connor reflects her past experiences and catholic background in her short stories by using symbolism, irony, and violence endings.
Symbolism is one of the most prominent literary devices used by O’Connor …show more content…
She uses Manley Pointer’s hallow Bible in “Good Country People” as a symbol for the disbelief of Christianity and sin. Instead of God’s word in the Bible there are condoms, alcohol, and playing cards. O’Connor’s strong Catholic background plays a major role in the development of this symbol. The families in the story all owned a Bible, but did not follow the word of God, like the Bible had a hallow meaning to them. Secondly, in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” O’Connor exhibits irony through the Grandmother. The Grandmother constantly speaks of her faith, but is superficial and has a twisted meaning of faith. This can parallel O’Connor’s experiences in her life because she grew up with white people calling themselves Christians, while being incredibly racist and discriminatory against African Americans. A twisted meaning of faith is seen in O’Connor’s life as well as in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” Lastly, Julian’s mother exhibits irony in “Everything That Rises Must Converge.” She believes her hat makes her superior to the people around her because of its cost. The irony unfolds when an African American woman steps onto the bus, wearing the same hat Julian’s mother is wearing. Julian’s mother believes she is especially superior to African American’s, so it is a huge culture shock to see a black woman wearing same expensive hat. This irony can reflect O’Connor’s background in racial inequality and her experience with
Symbolism is one of the most prominent literary devices used by O’Connor …show more content…
She uses Manley Pointer’s hallow Bible in “Good Country People” as a symbol for the disbelief of Christianity and sin. Instead of God’s word in the Bible there are condoms, alcohol, and playing cards. O’Connor’s strong Catholic background plays a major role in the development of this symbol. The families in the story all owned a Bible, but did not follow the word of God, like the Bible had a hallow meaning to them. Secondly, in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” O’Connor exhibits irony through the Grandmother. The Grandmother constantly speaks of her faith, but is superficial and has a twisted meaning of faith. This can parallel O’Connor’s experiences in her life because she grew up with white people calling themselves Christians, while being incredibly racist and discriminatory against African Americans. A twisted meaning of faith is seen in O’Connor’s life as well as in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” Lastly, Julian’s mother exhibits irony in “Everything That Rises Must Converge.” She believes her hat makes her superior to the people around her because of its cost. The irony unfolds when an African American woman steps onto the bus, wearing the same hat Julian’s mother is wearing. Julian’s mother believes she is especially superior to African American’s, so it is a huge culture shock to see a black woman wearing same expensive hat. This irony can reflect O’Connor’s background in racial inequality and her experience with