Flannery O'Connor and Her Southern Gothic Style

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Flannery O’Connor, known for her original Southern Gothic style of prose has been titled “the master of the short story” (O’Connor). Her application of symbolism and the themes of Southern religion deem her as one of the most influential writers in American history. Born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925 and raised in the South, O’Connor was socialized as a member of the Catholic Church which proves evident throughout her writings. She studied journalism at the University of Iowa, but quickly migrated back to the South where she wrote most of her works: two novels, 32 short stories, and a number of commentaries and reviews. When diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, the same illness that killed her father when she was young, she returned to her family’s farm in Midgeville, Georgia where she later passed away in 1962 at the young age of 39. Her works have received multiple awards, including the National Book Award for Fiction in 1972. One Reason her books translate globally to people of a Christian faith is because although different denominations exist within Christianity, many of the beliefs and traditions transpire from Catholicism into Lutheranism, Methodism, and other churches possessing Catholic roots. In each short story, she carries a message for the reader, messages of life, death, and the transition between. The two stories examined within this research paper are “Good Country People,” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” In “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” The grandmother, her son, Bailey, and his young family leave for a family vacation to Florida. As the grandmother convinces the family to take a detour along what she believes to be a familiar route, eventually causing them to meet the Misfit and accomplices. In “Good Co... ... middle of paper ... ...particular era. Works Cited Desmond, John. "Flannery O’Connor’s Misfit and the Mystery of Evil." Critical Insights: Flannery O’Connor. Ed. E. May Charles. 1 vols. Salem Press, 2011. Salem Literature Web. 09 Mar. 2014. Edwards, Bruce. "Flannery O’Connor." Critical Survey of Long Fiction. Ed. Rollyson Carl, 4th ed. 10 vols. Salem Press, 2010. Salem Literature Web. 09 Mar. 2014. Leigh, Davis. "Suffering and the Sacred in Flannery O’Connor’s Short Stories." Renascence 65.5 (2013): 365-380. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Apr. 2014. O'Connor, Flannery. "A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories" New York City: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1955. Print. "Pause for thought with J. John." Challenge Newsline Oct. 2004: 6. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Apr. 2014. “Some Advice.” Christian Science Monitor. 07 April. 1998: 9. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 April. 2014.

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