Some Initial Thoughts on Flannery O'Connor's Fiction

This morning I completed my reading of Flannery O’Connor’s fiction by finishing her second novel, The Violent Bear It Away. Having spent the last few months immersed in the work of this gifted author, I would like to express some impressions of O’Connor’s work.

Before I do that I need to acknowledge some sources of inspiration and instruction that have come my way. First, a spiritual mentor, Dr. Timothy Hoffman, gave me the initial inspiration to read O’Connor. He also gave me some key insights and symbols to look for as I read the short stories and novels.

Then, Dr. Ralph C. Wood’s wonderful literary analysis of O’Connor’s works has been extremely helpful. In Flannery O’Connor and the Christ-Haunted South Wood weaves most of her stories into his analysis, and in Literature and Theology Wood includes a valuable essay on the short story “The River.”

Two other on-line resources have also been helpful: “The Iconographic Fiction and Christian Humanism of Flannery O'Connor” by Vigen Guroian, and “The Theology of Flannery O’Connor: Biblical Recapitulations in the Fiction of Flannery O’Connor” by Jordan Cofer.

So here are some initial thoughts:

1. O’Connor’s fiction has been described as grotesque, yet it is remarkably beautiful.

2. Even though O’Connor was a Roman Catholic, most of her characters are not.

3. Watch for recurring symbolism, especially the sun, treetops, and (as we say today) African Americans.

4. Pay attention to allusions to the scriptures and to biblical characters. O'Connor has included some surprising symbols that represent our Savior.

5. Certainly the supernatural element is present throughout the corpus.

6. There is almost always a shocking event that changes everything for the main character and, therefore, for the reader.

7. Warning: You could experience a baptism of your imagination when you read O'Connor's stories.

8. Don’t be deterred by some who would discourage you from reading the longer works: Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away.

Here’s one more on-line resource that I'll recommend: The Flannery O'Connor Repository titled The Comforts of Home. Within that website you are well advised to visit the Books section.