Flannery O Connor Research Paper

Anyone who has had the opportunity to take time to read and work with the fiction of Flannery O 'Connor, cannot fail to be impressed by the level of quality in its production. According to Michael Meyer in his book The Bedford Introduction to literature, “Despite her brief life and relatively modest output her work is regarded among the most distinguished American fiction of the mid-twentieth century.” She wrote two novels and a total of thirty one short stories (420). Critics, reviewers, including sophisticated readers use the word powerful to describe her work. Firstly because of its quality, for example the mordantly comic characters, the strong narrative lines and the violence which are depicted so brilliantly. Secondly the totality of her vision and the entire expression of her imagination are combine to generate her literary power (Asal, 1). During her brief career the most predominant form of writing for Flannery was short stories, what exactly is a

A short story, Flannery O’Connor’s in particular, more than often focus on a character who is confronted with the world of spirits which then challenges his or her conceptual framework of reason and social experience (May 14). Story after story, she brings her characters at times and situations when and where it is impossible for them to continue to act as they would normally do. The primary focus of this research paper will be to help develop a better understanding on the symbolism and the characters in Flannery O’Connor stories, “A Good Man is Hard to find” and “Good Country People”, as it pertain to her religious affiliation and her southern