Flannery OConnors Use of Religious Allegory Essay

An ardent Catholic as she was, Flannery O’Connor astonishes and puzzles the readers of her most frequently compiled work, A Good Man Is Hard to Find. It is the violence, carnage, injustice and dark nooks of Christian beliefs of the characters that they consider so interesting yet shocking at the same time. The story abounds in Christian motifs, both easy and complicated to decipher. We do not find it conclusive that the world is governed by inevitable predestination or evil incorporated, though. A deeper meaning needs to be discovered in the text. The most astonishing passages in the story are those when the Grandmother is left face to face with the Misfit and they both discuss serious religious matters. But at the same time it is the†¦show more content†¦For instance, she wishes to dress smart only in case an accident should occur so that her body would be identified as a woman. She shows her being a â€Å"good woman†, contrary to a â€Å"good man† who â€Å"is hard to find†. But by doing so she reveals how artificial a Christian she is, that appearance for her is more significant than a â€Å"good Christian† spirit. It is her who divides the world into â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil† but she little realizes the actual parameters of these values. Her subjective point of view makes the borderline somewhat blurred, even the name of Jesus in her speech â€Å"sounded as if she might be cursing†. In fact, she is far from an epitome of virtue and it is only the fatal encounter with the Misfit that makes her realize the error of her ways. Hence, to some extent, the Grandmother may be treated as a common Everyman. But our Everyman starts as a truly â€Å"fake† Christian and whether or not she deserves any redemption is questionable. Though she perishes like a martyr, as the Misfit confesses when he tuned to perpetrating evil deeds, the Grandmother responds that he should have started praying and that â€Å"Jesus would help†. Again, O’Connor’s attempt here is to present, by means of religious motifs, how superficial the faith of Southerners is. Grandmother’s advice comes out of convenience, not of genuine worship of God and is a commentary on how people turn to religion in the event of sickness, deathbed orShow MoreRelatedThe Writings Of Nathaniel Hawthorne And Flannery O Connor1022 Words   |  5 PagesReligio-historical objects are things of crafted pieces of writing that reveal the realities of religious subjects through the perspective visions of their author (C.J Bleeker). Compared to an artist who has a muse, writers also have a â€Å"muse† something that influences their writing. Whether it is a personal experience, religious belief, or common morals writers derive the context within their writing from many different aspects of life. 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