Flannery O'Connor, 1925-1964

Flannery O'Connor was born into a devout Roman Catholic family in Savannah, Georgia.  Her Catholic and southern heritage could be clearly seen in her literary works.   O'Connor once stated in a letter to Andrew Lytle in 1955, "To my way of thinking, the only thing that keeps me from being a regional writer is being a Catholic and the only thing that keeps me from being a Catholic writer (in the narrow since) is being a Southerner."  O'Connor took great pride in her Catholic and southern roots as exemplified by her words to Lytle and her stories, novels, and essays. Sshe never hesitated to tackle issues of her religious faith or her encounters while growing up and living in the South.  O'Connor's was torn between the the more liberal views of the Catholic church in which she was raised and the Protestant fundamentalist ideals so prevalent in the South.  However, Flannery O'Connor succeeded in portraying both a taste of her faith and a flare of her southern surroundings into beautifully written stories.

Religious and southern overtones are evident in O'Connor's "The Artificial Nigger," one of the author's "very best" works.  The instance of the grandfather, Mr. Head, denying Nelson, his grandson, is reminiscent of Peter's denial of Jesus.  Mr. Head was the only person Nelson had in the world, and the guilt of abandoning him through that denial crushed Mr. Head.  O'Connor attempts to relay the fact that just as Nelson forgave Mr. Head, God also forgives, and has done so since the "beginning of time."  Aside from the fact that "The Artificial Nigger" was set in Atlanta, the laid-back pace and the descriptions (such as the fatback frying) of the story indicate that the characters are southerners.  This short story is a prime example, along with many of Flannery O'Connor's other works, of how she skillfully intertwined two very important aspects of her life in her works.

The importance, fragility, and complexity of relationships was a theme O'Connor tended to concentrate on in her works.  In "The Artificial Nigger," one example of this theme is the relationship of Mr. Head and Nelson turning at the point of the denial, and its coming full circle with Nelson's unconditional forgiveness.  Another relationship is that between man and God,which is not directly stated but symbolized, and God's undying love and forgiveness to all mankind.  The dynamics of the relationship between blacks and whites exists as another theme in O'Connor's stories.  Discrimination is an issue that O'Connor was made aware of and exposed to while living in the South, an harsh reality that she chose to tackle  in some of her works.  In staying true to the title of "The Artificial Nigger", discrimination is something that makes a person artificial, as it did Mr. Head.   Mr. Head stated, after seeing a statue of a African American boy, "They ain't got enough real ones here.  They got to have an artificial one."  Mr. Head speaks of the artificiality of the statue in an arrogant manner, when the irony of the situation is that he is the one who is artificial due to his ignorance that is revealed in his racist views.  In referring to O'Connor's themes dealing with relationships, Mr. Head's ignorance is further revealed in his inability to have an honest relationship with his grandson.

O'Connor's masterful use of symbolism to convey her themes was truly a gift.  Although her life was tragically cut short at age thirty-nine by lupus, her gifts to the literary world, her insight into and fusion of concepts and ideals, leave future artists something towards which to aspire.  Lorine M. Getz refers to Flannery O'Connor as "America's greatest post-World War II short story writer," and she may very well be correct. 
 

Bibliography

"Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home"

This World Wide Web page provides pictures of Flannery O'Connor's home as a child in Savannah, Georgia.  Biographical information, including her education, works, and awards, is easily accessed. 

This work offers a glimpse into O'Connor's life by focusing on specific aspects of her life as well as presenting a wonderful chronology of her life and accomplishments.  Also, as the title indicates, the contents of her personal library and her book reviews are included.  Getz provides a non-traditional peek into an author's life by introducing the reader to her personal belongings and providing insight into her career as a book reviewer.   

This research tool contains numerous biographies of prominent literary figures since the Second World War.  The entries also contain a brief analysis of various works by the authors.  Almost two hundred volumes exist, spanning practically every time period.  The thorough biographies provide a wealth of information, including the respective author's works and additional references.

This compilation of O'Connor works includes her two novels, Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away, as well as two of her collections of short stories, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Everything That Rises Must Converge.  Also included are O'Connor's letters to various people, additional short stories and selected essays as well as notes by Sally Fitzgerald, who selected the book's content.  A very detailed and useful chronology of Flannery O'Connor's life is also presented in this wonderful book which provides a means for the reader to make himself familiar with O'Connor while, at the same time, enjoying her works.

The Complete Stories is collection of all thirty-one short stories by Flannery O'Connor which were compiled and published posthumously.  It is a perfect choice for one who wants to see the entire spectrum of O'Connor's probing and engaging short stories. 

This "yearbook" of selected authors provides a synopsis of the authors' motivations and life.  The Yearbook continues where its companions, the numerous volumes of the Dictionary of Literary Biography, leave off, going more in depth regarding some respects of the particular author's life and craft. 

Major Works

• "Everything That Rises Must Converge"
• "The Artificial Nigger"
• "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"
• "Greenleaf"
• ''Revelation"
• "A View of the Woods"
• The Violent Bear it Away
• "A Circle in the Fire"
• Wise Blood
• "Good Country People"
• "The River"
• "The Life You Save May Be Your Own"
• "The Lame Shall Enter First"

Careers

• Author
• Lecturer
• Book Reviewer

Family

• Father: Edward Francis O'Connor, Jr.
• Mother: Regina Cline O'Connor

Homes

• Savannah, Georgia
• Milledgeville, Georgia
• Iowa City, Iowa
• New York City
• Ridgefield, Connecticut

Chronology