Flannery O’Connor is one of my all-time favorite authors, and though I’ve read nearly all of her fiction over the years, I’ve recently begun reading collections of her personal correspondence. There is a wealth of letters she exchanged with friends and interviews she gave to media in which she describes her writing process, her life philosophy, and even her health struggles (eventually dying of lupus at only 39 years of age).
O’Connor was devoutly religious, yet she made a concerted effort not to be considered a religious writer, hoping instead to demonstrate her brutally honest visions of the world to as broad an audience as possible. This month’s homepage quote epitomizes O’Connor’s blunt wisdom and is needed more than ever in our increasingly hyper-sensitive world.
She believed in ultimate truths, in good and evil, and in justice, love, grace, and redemption. These were the foundations of her fiction, leading characters to come to realizations they had often been fighting against their whole lives, whether they were conscious of the struggle or not. Her goal was often to shock her readers into awareness, through violence, humor, and dark themes, defining her as the most prominent voice of twentieth century “Southern grotesque.”
My favorite stories from O’Connor are probably “Good Country People” for its deconstruction of intellectual nihilism and “Everything That Rises Must Converge” for its simultaneous challenge of both tradition and evolving social norms. Both pieces are deft examinations of Southern manners, and they expose characters’ hypocritical motives in powerful and alarming ways.
There are truths in this world, and our ability to face them openly is the first step toward wisdom. Though our stomachs may have a hard time, our minds and hearts are developed by such engagement. As 2015 comes to an end, seek out difficult human truths—especially in literature, film, music, and other forms of art—and do not fear their examination. And along the way, revisit Miss O’Connor’s work. She always has something to teach us.
O’Connor was devoutly religious, yet she made a concerted effort not to be considered a religious writer, hoping instead to demonstrate her brutally honest visions of the world to as broad an audience as possible. This month’s homepage quote epitomizes O’Connor’s blunt wisdom and is needed more than ever in our increasingly hyper-sensitive world.
She believed in ultimate truths, in good and evil, and in justice, love, grace, and redemption. These were the foundations of her fiction, leading characters to come to realizations they had often been fighting against their whole lives, whether they were conscious of the struggle or not. Her goal was often to shock her readers into awareness, through violence, humor, and dark themes, defining her as the most prominent voice of twentieth century “Southern grotesque.”
My favorite stories from O’Connor are probably “Good Country People” for its deconstruction of intellectual nihilism and “Everything That Rises Must Converge” for its simultaneous challenge of both tradition and evolving social norms. Both pieces are deft examinations of Southern manners, and they expose characters’ hypocritical motives in powerful and alarming ways.
There are truths in this world, and our ability to face them openly is the first step toward wisdom. Though our stomachs may have a hard time, our minds and hearts are developed by such engagement. As 2015 comes to an end, seek out difficult human truths—especially in literature, film, music, and other forms of art—and do not fear their examination. And along the way, revisit Miss O’Connor’s work. She always has something to teach us.