Analysis Of Flannery O Connor's Short Stories

A Turn for the Worst 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. In much of O’Connor’s works, she is concerned with the central theme of Grace and God’s Mercy. In both short stories, they deal with the issue of the humiliation of the haughty and the humbling of the proud. However, the arrival of grace is presented in a manner quite unlike any of the more traditional Christian tales. Grace is
Both of the women remain nameless; the grandmother is referred to throughout as “grandmother” or “the old lady” and similarly, Julian’s mother is referred to as “Julian’s mother” throughout the story. Both females belong to an earlier generation of the American South and came from prominent families but are now living in less than perfect circumstances. In both stories, the females recall their family histories. Despite their poverty, both try to appear proper by dressing up and believe in the importance of a person “knowing who they are”. With all of these similarities, it seems fitting that O’Connor has both characters experience “grace” in a violent manner before meeting their death. The grandmother dies with her legs crossed in a childlike manner and her face “smiling up at the cloudless sky (cite).” Julian’s mother too reverts to her childhood, calling for her African-American nanny