Flannery O'Connor

Flannery O’Connor is often remembered as one of the most enduring and groundbreaking authors in American literature. Throughout her short lifetime, she wrote two novels, 32 short stories, and numerous pieces of prose and poetry that focus on topics about the American South, such as race, religion, and politics. O’Connor is most well known for her novels and short stories, most of which are set in the South, and often feature characters that are facing temptation while struggling to make a moral choice.

O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia on March 25, 1925. Her mother, Regina Cline, was a successful housewife, while her father, Edward, served in the military and ultimately found a successful career in real estate. O’Connor was an avid reader at a young age, and by the time she was in high school, her ambition was to become a writer.

In 1951, she published her first novel, Wise Blood, which tells the story of an unnamed protagonist on a quest for spiritual redemption. O’Connor’s writing style is often described as dark, humorous, and sometimes shocking. It deals with traditional Southern themes such as racism, corruption, and individualism. Despite its grim subject matter, Wise Blood was awarded the Figgis Award for best novel of the year.

Encouraged by the success of her first novel, O’Connor moved to New York and began writing her second novel, The Violent Bear It Away, in 1955. This book delves further into the themes of religion and the responsibility of faith in the modern world. One of the novel’s main characters, Francis Marion Tarwater, discovers his identity and his faith as he struggles to fulfill his great-uncle’s dying wish.

In addition to her novels, O’Connor wrote a total of 32 short stories. Her stories are full of complex characters and themes which often challenge the reader’s views of morality. She explored topics such as race, gender, and class structure in many of her works. For example, “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” centers on a grandmother, her family, and their encounter with a ruthless murderer. The story is a study in human corruption and the consequences when the grandmother’s individualism and pride are challenged.

O’Connor was also an acclaimed essayist, producing several essays about Southern culture, religion, and writing. In “Writing Short Stories,” she examines the craft of writing and the tension between the artist and the reader. Her essay, “The Nature and Aim of Fiction,” is widely considered to be one of the most important pieces of writing on fiction and creative writing.

Though her career as a writer was tragically cut short by her untimely death in August of 1964, O’Connor’s legacy lives on through her powerful and thought-provoking works. Her stories combine the brutal, the comical, and the spiritual to explore the world we inhabit and the morality of humanity. Through her elegant prose, O’Connor was able to create characters that grapple with difficult issues and question the limits of human potential. In doing so, she has cemented her place among the most celebrated and highly respected authors of the 20th century.