Preview

Mary Flannery O'Connor

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
946 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mary Flannery O'Connor
Mary Flannery O'Connor is one of the most preeminent and more unique short story authors in American Literature (O'Connor 1). While growing up she lived in the Bible-belt South during the post World War II era of the United States. O'Connor was part of a strict Roman Catholic family, but she depicts her characters as Fundamentalist Protestants. Her characters are also severely spiritually or physically disturbed and have a tendency to be violent, arrogant or overly stupid. (Garraty 582) She mixes in her works a full-fledged gothic eeriness with an authentic feeling for the powers of grace and redemption. O'Connor's substantial literary reputation is based upon her two novels and her short stories collected in Everything That Rises Must Converge (1965), A Good Man is Hard to Find (1955), and The Complete Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor. Despite the fact that her unique style of writing has caused many judgments and rumors about her, O'Connor has received many awards and honors throughout her entire life.

On March 25, 1925, Mary Flannery O'Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia as a first and only child to a strict Roman Catholic couple. Her parents were Edward Francis O'Connor, a real estate broker, and Regina L. Cline O'Connor. (Garraty 581) Until 1938 O'Connor attended St. Vincent and Sacred Heart Parochial Schools. She was known as Mary in grade school but eventually dropped it and went by Flannery O'Connor. (Garraty 581) During grade school O'Connor claimed that her hobby was collecting rejection slips. Then the family moved to the Cline house in Milledgeville, Georgia when her father became sick with disseminated lupus. Lupus is a disease of the connective tissue, which would later claim her life. While in Milledgeville, O'Connor went to school at Peabody High School (Garraty 582). During high school she wrote and illustrated books while still maintaining a high academic average. Her father died of lupus in 1941. In 1942, at the age of 16, O'Connor entered


Cited: Garraty, John A. "Mary Flannery O 'Connor" Dictionary of American Biography: Supplement Seven. 1981 edition. "O 'Connor, Flannery." DISCovering Authors Modules Online. Galenet; 30 March 1999. Polk, Noel. "Flannery O 'Connor." The World Book encyclopedia. Fourteenth edition. 1992.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mary Driscoll's Journey From Ireland To America Analysis
    • 167 Words
    • 1 Page

    Mary Driscoll's Journey From Ireland To America Analysis

    This diary is about Mary Driscoll and her journey from Ireland to America to acquire a better life for her and her parents. Specifically, Mary’s experience in America was unfortunate as well as her life back in Ireland for various reasons. Furthermore, she had to leave her beloved homeland Ireland because of the Great Famine, which commenced in 1845 when the potatoes throughout Ireland died. Consequently, there were multitudinous deaths as a result of starvation, to solve their situation the Irish immigrated to America. They thought of America as a dream-world, it was apparently paved in gold and it was a land of opportunity. They envisioned this false hope and once they arrived they were greatly disappointed, the Irish were harassed and given…

    • 167 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Maida on the Work of O'Connor - Light and Enlightenment
    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Maida on the Work of O'Connor - Light and Enlightenment

    (1b) Maida, Patricia D. "Light and Enlightenment in Flannery O 'Connor 's Fiction." Sin and Redemption, Bloom 's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010. Bloom 's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. October 6, 2012. <http://www.fofweb.com.proxy1.athensams.net/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BLTSAR011&SingleRecord=True>.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Flannery O'Connor Research Paper Essay Example
    • 1911 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Flannery O'Connor Research Paper Essay Example

    For such a troubled woman, O’Connor had a wonderful childhood as well as very loving parents. Flannery O’Connor was born on a small farm just outside of Milledgeville, Georgia. She was raised by two caring parents, Edward F O’Connor and Regina O’Connor. Though little is known about her father, the young war veteran was very proud of his only daughter (Balee). O’Connor and her father were very close, but tragedy struck in 1941 when her father passed away from Lupus disease (Balee). After his death, she was raised by her now single mother, Regina O’Connor. Flannery O’Connor started her first year at Milledgeville’s Peabody High School in 1942, just one year after her father’s death (Balee). She was known for chewing snuff and shooting rubber bands off her braces in…

    • 1911 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Explication Of Good Country People By Flannery O Connor
    • 1143 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Explication Of Good Country People By Flannery O Connor

    In Flannery O’Connors short story, “Good Country People,” the main theme is about a southern family and their faith, identity and education. Another key theme in the story is the concept of reality vs. illusion. The story employs irony and symbolism to portray the main character’s nihilism, immaturity and rebelliousness as well as the other character’s traits and personalities.…

    • 1143 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Flannery O Connor's Physical And Grotesque
    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Flannery O Connor's Physical And Grotesque

    Flannery O’Connor is known as one of the best short story authors. She successfully combines violence, religion, and grotesque into her short stories. She uses violence to take big actions and catch the attention of her audience. O’Connor was no doubt a dedicated Catholic, but in her stories she managed to apply multiple religions into her works (Nielson). O’Connor takes the word grotesque to a new level. She makes her characters bizarre by their physical and mental appearance. Flannery O’Connor uses characters that appear grotesque to make her stories capture the attention of her audience. From reading her stories you would think that she had a crazy messed up life, but she was actually just a normal well educated girl. O’Connor was born an only child in Savannah, Georgia. While there her early childhood education started at the city’s Catholic school. Later, she and her parents moved to Milledgeville, Georgia where they had existing family.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sin In Flannery O Connor's Analysis
    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Sin In Flannery O Connor's Analysis

    It may be very perceptive, keeping tabs concerning illustration it does on the degree to which this story may be impacted by its author's Catholic faith. Over a sense, we might argue that this story may be considerably a greater amount over grace over it will be regarding evil, an on we take a gander at those characters of the grandmother and the Misfit, should be obvious that O'Connor conveys a intriguing message around sin also abhorrence that is totally in keeping for her personal religious philosophy.…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of Flannery O Connor's Short Stories
    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Analysis Of Flannery O Connor's Short Stories

    People always strive for perfection, yet constantly fall short. Flannery O’Connor presents life as that of unredeemable pain, and that humans are simply organisms who are violent contradictions. Flannery O’Connor’s stories often feature characters that are similar in many aspects, facing different situations. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “Everything That Rises Must Converge” depict much of what O’Connor is famous for in the literary world. Through the use of theme, style, and symbolism, Flannery makes it clear the powerlessness and impotence of humans and the insignificance of their desires, dreams and pretentions.…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Revelation Flannery O Connor Analysis
    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Revelation Flannery O Connor Analysis

    Flannery O’Connor has written many short stories; two of the many are: “Revelation” and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” In O’Connor’s stories, she makes the reader believe that the characters within the story are real, not mere vessels for the author's religious views. As the reader reads O’Connor’s stories, they may often think “ I feel like I know someone like that”. After a reader can connect with the story by comparing a character and a real life person, they are more likely to continue to read the story and possible other similar pieces of writing. When reading these two popular stories, it is very easy to compare them to real life people.…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Flannery O Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find
    • 1158 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Flannery O Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find

    One of the most compelling and provocative authors of the 20th century, Flannery O’ Connor is known for her violent, yet symbolic short stories. Unfortunately, we only got to see a small selection of writings from her, as she died in 1964 at the young age of 39 from lupus erythematosus. Although she was largely unknown during her short life, she has been posthumously recognized as one of the greatest writers of her time. Terry Teachout, chief culture critic and drama critic with the Wall Street Journal, acknowledges O’Connor as “one of the foremost American fiction writers of the 20th century (55).” Teachout goes on to say, “she is by far the most critically acclaimed of the many Catholic writers who came to prominence…

    • 1158 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Illusion vs Reality in “Good Country People”
    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Illusion vs Reality in “Good Country People”

    One of Flannery O’Connor’s most successful stories, “Good Country People” was published in 1955. “Good Country People” addresses the of good versus evil, the foolishness of intellectual pretensions, and most importantly the theme of reality versus illusion. An important character Mrs. Hopewell’s daughter Hulga, born as Joy has a Ph. D but seems to have no common sense. She allows her self to be tricked by a “Bible salesman” and gets her self in to a binding situation. Good Country people deals with illusion vs. reality this is shown when the author discusses Manley Pointer; the bible sales man, Joy thinking she is ugly, and the fact the Hulga and her mother tend to disagree about Hulga’s life decisions.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Good Country People paper

    • 868 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Good Country People paper

    Flannery O’Connor was an author born in the south in 1925. She was an author who “wrote from her experiences as a Roman Catholic raised in the Protestant South” (Flannery O’Connor). She is the author of the story “Good Country People”, published in 1955. O’Connor tells the story of a young girl named Hulga “Joy” Hopewell who is a well-educated girl, with a degree in philosophy, but is a very shy person and keeps to herself. Hulga is also a very misunderstood girl, mainly by her mother who in no way relates to Hulga. Hulga’s mother, Mrs. Hopewell, is a very self-centered person who seems to surround herself with and pity the people that she believes she is better than. Mrs. Hopewell is a judgmental person towards everyone she comes into contact with, even towards her own daughter. The relationship that is visible to the reader between this mother and daughter is not one that the reader may be accustomed to seeing. Love is not an easy thing to define, but some may say that a mother shows her love through her concern, her compassion, and her understanding towards her children. Mrs. Hopewell makes it clear to the reader that she does not understand her daughter and at the same time makes a solid case for the reader to infer that she does not love her daughter either.…

    • 868 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Good Country People
    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Good Country People

    One thing that I’ve learned for sure is that most of the famous writers (so far, that is) have died at an early age. I see in her bio that O’Connor was one of them. Ok here we go; I see that I am in for a bizarre climax. [1]…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Southern Gothic
    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Southern Gothic

    Flannery O’Connor was one of the most known authors for writing southern gothic short stories. Southern gothic became a style of writing in the wake of the civil war and brought up questions in society like, ‘Why is violence such a large part of the south’s culture?’ and, ‘How did the South have such a hard time picking itself up after its defeat in the war?’ Southern gothic is usually decayed, grotesque, or derelict settings and situations and had themes of ambivalent gender roles, poverty, alienation, crime or violence. The use of O’Connor’s characters shows the entertaining but subverts the expected while also bringing up issues like the civil rights movement and gender roles in the style of Southern Gothic…

    • 886 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mary Seacole
    • 302 Words
    • 1 Page

    Mary Seacole

    Mary was born in 1805 to a Scottish soldier and a free black woman who ran away together to Kingston, Jamaica. Mary learned about medicine and herbal treatments from her mother. What she learnt came very useful in the 1850s when Kingston was hit by a disease called cholera.…

    • 302 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Martha Graham
    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Martha Graham

    Graham was born in Allegheny City, which today is part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1894. Her father George Graham was what in the Victorian era was known as an "alienist", a practitioner of an early form of psychiatry. The Grahams were strict Presbyterians. Dr. Graham was a third generation American of Irish descent. Her mother Jane Beers was a second generation American of Irish and Scotch-Irish descent and was also a sixth generation descendant of Puritan Miles Standish.…

    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics