Flannery O Connor Writing Style Analysis

Throughout her multitude of works, author Flannery O’Connor employs the primary use a descriptive style of writing, with her works illustrating religion. Religion makes an appearance throughout her works, but for all the wrong reasons. Without context, religion is often seen as a positive, but under the hands of O’Connor, religion is depicted as being manipulated and used for crime. This can be visualized within her three works, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” and “Good Country People,” as within those short stories, religion is introduced and used in a twisted manner. Although religion is a central component to her descriptive writing style, O’Connor also frequently utilizes as elements of that style, foreshadowing,
Shiflet suddenly appears and begins to dramatically improve the lives of mother Lucynell Crater and daughter Lucynell Crater. As a result, he is depicted as an angel, helping the family out so much so that mother Lucynell begs for him to marry her daughter, which would ensure his permanent resident so he would be able to help out everyday. However, Mr. Shiftlet reveals his true intentions by stealing Lucynell’s car and kidnapping her daughter, and eventually abandoning her at a diner later. This is also shown during his encounter with a young hitchhiker when Mr. Shiflet attempts to portray himself as an angel by telling the boy he regrets leaving his mother in hopes of persuading the boy to return to his own. Unlike Lucynell however, the young boy is able to see past the facade of Mr. Shiflet, exclaiming, “You go to the devil!” Through Mr. Shiflet appearing as an angel, when in reality he is more of the devil, O’Connor expresses the prominence of religion within her works as well as its ability to be used for
In “Good Country People,” O’Connor foreshadowed the character’s personalities through their names. Manley Pointer, the bible salesman for example, lured Hulga into the barn and attempted to to advance on her sexually numerous times. His name is Manley Pointer and he is trying to use his manly pointer (penis) on a girl he had recently met, which reveals his true character as he isn’t the innocent bible seller people thought he was. Furthermore O’Connor’s foreshadowing through names is also shown through Mrs. Hopewell, who is a character of hope. In addition to that, O’Connor also foreshadows in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” through mentioning an escaped convict, The Misfit, early on in the story. By mentioning the criminal early on in the story, O’Connor foreshadows the family’s encounter with him. Moreover, O’Connor likewise foreshadows in “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,” Mr. Shiflet's true character through imagery early on within the story. As he greeted Lucynell and her daughter, Mr. Shiflet was depicted as forming a “crooked cross.” By saying that his figure formed a crooked cross, O’Connor foreshadows his facade of character, as he was simply there to get the