Social Commentary and Religion in Flannery O'Connor

Analyze the way in which Flannery O’Connor fuses social commentary with a religious vision in at least two of her short stories

Social Commentary and religious vision are two of the most common and striking features of the work of Flannery O’Connor. I found both themes to be particularly evident in her short stories “The Artificial nigger” and “Revelation”. what I found particularly interesting about these stories with regard to the subject was how O’Connor had the two ideas intersect and relate to one another. Her descriptions of racism and social stereotyping are observed from a Christian point of view and some of O’Connor’s supposedly Christian and righteous characters are shown in a negative light due to their own opinions on social class.

The story “The Artificial Nigger” is, on the surface, concerned mainly with race and social commentary. However, reading it with O’Connor’s Christian faith in minds one sees countless religious references throughout it. Both Mr. Head and Nelson exude sinful pride from the beginning of the story and in my opinion the trip to Atlanta serves as a metaphorical road to redemption for both of them. O’Connor gives an obvious hint at this idea when describing Mr. Head:
“He might have been Virgil summoned in the middle of the night to go to Dante” ( Stories 250), painting in the audiences’ mind the image of Dante’s epic tale of redemption.

This pride in Mr. Head manifests itself in racism. He feels superior to African Americans and tries to teach Nelson to do the same:
“We didn’t come ( To Atlanta) to look at Niggers” (Stories 260). However it is subtly, yet repeatedly, exposed by O’Connor as false, sinful pride. This is most skilfully done in her description of the bedroom at the very beginning of the story. In Mr. Head’s mind the Moon “…Cast A Dignifying light on everything” (Stories 249) and his trousers hanging on a chair “…had an almost noble air” (Stories 249). But on closer observation there is little impressive about the room, indeed the slop jar sits by the window and the alarm clock doesn’t even work.

Clearly these themes come to a head with their encounter with the “artificial Nigger” itself and Mr. Heads moment of grace, however I felt that the most powerful example of Religion and social commentary combining occurs when they are lost in the poor part of Atlanta. The similarity with Dante continues as Mr. Head experiences his equivalent of the “Inferno” or hell. Here the tables are turned and they are the outsiders as they are watched by the black inhabitants of the area. In my opinion, Nelson’s encounter with the black woman symbolises judgement by God, as the Heads, in spite of their supposed superiority, are entirely at her mercy. Moreover Nelsons feelings while speaking to her, he:
“…would have collapsed at her feet If Mr. Head had not pulled him roughly away.” suggest those of a mortal in the presence of a higher power.

“Revelation” has a very similar example of a prideful sinner being judged. Mrs. Turpin’s pride also makes her racist. As Karl Martin surmises:
“Turpin believes herself better than those around her, especially most of those she witnesses n the doctors office…” (Martin 50). While William Burke points out that her
“ thoughts reveal a woman self congratulatory and smug” (Burke 102). In quiet moments she amuses herself by arranging the social classes in her mind, thinking
“On the bottom of the heap were most coloured people…” (Stories 491). As they owned land and a home, she and Claud were second only to people with
“…much bigger houses and much more land” (Stories 491).

Mrs Turpin is shaken considerably when Mary Grace tells her
“Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart hog” (Stories 500). She seems to take it as a message from a holy and exalted source:
“ "(she had) no doubt that the girl did know her, Knew her in some intense and personal way, beyond time and place and condition” (Stories 500) and she obsesses over why she was singled out for this message, despite seeing so many inferior people around her. Like the Heads in “The Artificial Nigger” Mrs. Turpin’s own arrogance finally becomes exposed to her when she encounters some of the African Americans that she looks down upon. Upon telling her black employees about what happened, they flatter her and tell her what a fine woman she is until one, ironically, exclaims:
“Jesus satisfied with her!” (Stories 505). Mrs. Turpin, who until a few hours earlier had believed Jesus was satisfied with her, is made to understand her own foolish pride by the fake praise of her workers.

Bibliography

1. Flannery O’Connor, “The Complete Stories” (1971)

2.Karl Martin “Flannery O 'Connor 's Prophetic Imagination” from “Religion & Literature, Vol. 26, No. 3, Autumn, 1994

3.William M. Burke “Protagonists and Antagonists in the Fiction of Flannery O 'Connor” from “The Southern Literary Journal > Vol. 20, No. 2, Spring, 1988

Bibliography: 1. Flannery O’Connor, “The Complete Stories” (1971) 2.Karl Martin “Flannery O 'Connor 's Prophetic Imagination” from “Religion & Literature, Vol. 26, No. 3, Autumn, 1994 3.William M. Burke “Protagonists and Antagonists in the Fiction of Flannery O 'Connor” from “The Southern Literary Journal > Vol. 20, No. 2, Spring, 1988