Flannery O 'Connor's Novelist And Believer'

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Flannery O'Connor, "Novelist and Believer," pages 563-570, Q 3 and 4

3. a. O’Connor identifies three ways modern people tend to deal with religious questions and the existence of God. List these here. - 1. “...modern man who recognizes spirit in himself but who fails to recognize a being outside himself whom he can adore as creator and Lord;” (Epperson 564) 2. “...modern man who recognizes a diving being not himself, but who does not believe that this being can be known analogically or defined dogmatically or received sacramentally.” (Epperson 564) 3. “...modern man who can neither believe not contain himself in unbelief and who searches desperately, feeling about in all experience for the list God.” (Epperson 565)

b. How does she find …show more content…

a. How does O’Connor explain her complaint that “[e]ver since there have been such things as novels, the world has been flooded with bas fiction for which the religious impulse has been responsible”? …show more content…

a. The priest, Mrs. McIntyre, and Mrs. Shortley comment on the peacock. Explain what their comments reveal about themselves and their moral perception.

The priest – The priest admires God’s beautiful creation and took great pleasure in looking at the magnificent bird. The priest cares about God’s creation and admires the beauty in it. Admiring God’s creation is away to admire him, so the priest admires God. The peacock reminds him of the transfiguration of Jesus that is to come.

Mrs. McIntyre- She sees the peacock as only a burden to be feed and without value. Let them die because she finds their screaming to be bothersome. Does not think she has the resources and finds it annoying to sit and admire God in this way.

Mrs. Shortley - Mrs. Shortley also does not find any value in the peacock and says, “Nothing but a peachicken,” (Epperson 587). She does not see admiring God in this way as worthwhile.

b. Describe how O’Connor uses the priest’s comments to suggest that reality can be perceived as having levels of meaning.

4. List at least four character, either directly in the story or alluded to, who are “displaced.” Describe the various ways they can be viewed as being

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