Why Willie's Imaginary Life is Not a Life of Luxury

 

People often imagine themselves as characters in stories, but in “The Crop,” when Miss Willerton pictures herself as a central character in the story she is writing, Miss Willerton’s imaginings left me feeling sad. I found myself focusing on the ordinariness of the lives of the imagined Lot and Willie. I began to question why Willie imagines herself as an ordinary person who faces hardships.

                The average nature of Willie’s life within her story is clear because Willie wakes up at four o’clock every morning “to get in all the work” she can “while the weather [is] clear” (O’Connor 38). It is also evident that Willie and Lot face hardships because, if the couple do not get the harvest in before the rain starts, they face the possibility of losing “all they had gained in the past months” (O’Connor 38). The moment of Willie’s story that cements the readers’ understanding of the lower-class life burdened with hardships that Willie chooses for herself is when Willie says that she and Lot will not have enough money to have both a child and a cow. Willie’s imagined life is not a life of luxury.

                One would assume that Miss Willerton would want to imagine a life away from all of her troubles, but instead she imagines a life not far from her reality. The difference between Miss Willerton’s life and her life as the married Willie is that Willie has a husband and gives birth to a daughter. The married Willie is happy in her average life, while Miss Willerton is clearly unhappy with her life.

                I think that Willie imagines herself an average life to show that she does not want much. She only wants a child like so many others have. The reader can see that Willie is not greedy. She would be content to spend her life working if she could simply have a family. It is when Miss Willerton is forced to leave her dream world and go to the grocery store that the reader can see Miss Willerton’s jealousy over the lives of many average people around her.

                At the grocery store, Miss Willerton notices a woman with a child on a leash, and the woman is “pulling him, jerking him, dragging him away from a window with a jack-o’-lantern” (O’Connor 40). The woman is battling with the child, and Miss Willerton’s focus on this woman who clearly does not want to have to deal with the child, makes Miss Willerton’s reasons for imaging a life with both hardships and a family become clearer to the reader.

                Because Miss Willerton is not greedy, even in her hopeful imaginings, the reader can more easily pity Miss Willerton. She only wants what others have and take for granted. What Miss Willerton wishes her life was is not unreasonable, and her paradise involves things that others don’t appreciate. Miss Willerton’s story is extremely tragic, especially after one looks closely at the details of the life that Miss Willerton wishes for.

Parker Tries (and Fails) to Save Himself With Each Tattoo

 

Only Flannery O’Connor would give her readers a character who both feels as if religion “were after you,”  and decides to get God tattooed on his back. In “Parker’s Back,” many of Parker’s tattoos are described, and it is clear that tattoos are important to Parker. Though it is evident that Parker’s tattoo of God is the most important tattoo in the story, I thought that Parker’s previous tattoos likely also held significance. In the story, among other tattoos, Parker has tattoos of an eagle, a serpent, a panther, and two hawks. A black panther is often believed to be a symbol of a protector, guardian, or savior, and for devout Christians, the black panther can be seen as a symbol of Christ. Similarly, the eagle has positive religious symbolism because God is compared to an eagle multiple times throughout the Bible, and in Christian art, the eagle often represents Christ’s resurrection. Parker’s tattoo of a serpent coiled around a shield brings to mind the serpent in the Bible that symbolizes temptation for Adam and Eve. Parker has a tattoo of a hawk on each of his thighs, and the fact that Parker has two hawk tattoos draws the reader’s attention. In Christianity, the wild hawk is a symbol of materialism and sin, but once a hawk is tamed, it is believed to symbolize a soul that has turned to Christianity.

                Because Parker’s tattoos are not solely symbols sin and disbelief in religion, but rather a mixture of symbols of God and sin, I was unsure of the point O’Connor was attempting to make by listing the tattoos that Parker has. But O’Connor may have been showing the reader the point of these conflicting tattoos when she writes that Parker feels “as if the panther and the lion and the serpents and the eagles and the hawks had penetrated his skin and lived inside him in a raging warfare” (O’Connor 514). This line makes me wonder if Parker’s tattoos display his inner battle of wishing to be saved, while also maintaining a disbelief in God.

A black panther symbolizes protection,
and in Christianity, Christ.

                Because Parker believes that if “a man can’t save his self from whatever it is he don’t deserve none of my sympathy,” I thought that Parker’s tattoos could also represent Parker's attempts at displaying his ability to save himself (O’Connor 524 &525). Specifically, Parker’s tattoo of the panther made me wonder if Parker believes that he can invoke the protection that the panther symbolizes, just as many Catholics believe that wearing a medal of Saint Christopher – the patron saint of travelers – because they believe it will bring them protection while traveling. Ultimately though, Parker comes to see each tattoo as “haphazard and botched” (O’Connor 514). It seems plausible that Parker begins to see each tattoo as unsatisfactory because the tattoo has not granted him the protection or redemption that he hoped. And when Parker’s wife does not recognize God in Parker’s tattoo, Parker realizes that even after getting a tattoo of God, Parker is still unable to save himself.

 

https://www.worldbirds.org/black-panther-symbolism/

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2015/07/17/what-does-the-eagle-represent-in-the-bible-a-christian-study/

https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2018/07/06/professing-faith-the-eagle-is-a-religious-symbol-as-well-as-a-national-one/#:~:text=In%20Christian%20art%2C%20the%20eagle,of%20the%20Gospel%20of%20St.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/serpent/

 

Mrs. McIntyre Cried, So Now I Feel Bad

From the movie adaptation of "The Displaced Person."

As I was reading “The Displaced Person,” there were many aspects of the story that surprised me. But about halfway through the story, Mrs. McIntyre breaks down and begins crying on her bed, and I was so shocked that I needed to go back through the story to reanalyze Mrs. McIntyre. It is clear to the reader that Mrs. McIntyre is racist when she calls her African American workers “half-witted” and “thieving” (O’Connor 222). And Mrs. McIntyre only cares for The Displaced Person because he is useful to her. But When Mrs. McIntyre sat on her bed and cried, I genuinely felt bad for her.

            Despite Mrs. McIntyre’s unfeeling ways, I pitied her, which made me want to evaluate Mrs. McIntyre and attempt to discern why Mrs. McIntyre acts the way she does throughout the story. Mrs. McIntyre doesn’t have a husband or children, and Mrs. Shortley seems to be the only companion Mrs. McIntyre has, but Mrs. McIntyre drives the Shortleys away. Mrs. McIntyre needs the people who work for her to be dependent on her because she doesn’t have anyone else. In Mrs. McIntyre’s eyes, “there was nobody poorer in the world than she was” (O’Connor 221).

            Mrs. McIntyre divorced two husbands and buried one, but Mrs. McIntyre has “a superstitious fear of annoying the Judge in the grave,” (O’Connor 218). While many would think that someone who has died has permanently left the earth, O’Connor explains Mrs. McIntyre’s fear by saying that unlike Mrs. McIntyre’s other husbands, “the Judge, sunk in the cornfield with his family, was always at home” (O’Connor 218). Though the audience learns from Mrs. McIntyre that the years she spent with the Judge were “the happiest” of her life (O’Connor 218). But the fact that the Judge is still on the farm upsets Mrs. McIntyre.

Toward the end of the story, the reader learns that Mrs. McIntyre “had never discharged anyone before; they had all left her” (O’Connor 231). Mrs. McIntyre states that the Guizacs “would not hesitate to leave her,” and yet she is unable to fire Mr. Guizac (O’Connor 230).  It seems possible that Mrs. McIntyre wants the Guizacs to leave on their own because she is used to people leaving her. The Judge will not leave on his own, and neither will Mr. Guizac, which makes Mrs. McIntyre uncomfortable because this breaks the pattern of people choosing to leave her that she has become accustomed to.

A cherub on top of a tombstone like the one
taken off of the Judge's grave

            I don’t know if the reader is meant to feel bad for Mrs. McIntyre. Mrs. McIntyre is unsympathetic toward the Guizacs and says that Mr. Guizac “had probably not had to struggle enough,” which causes me to believe that perhaps Mrs. McIntyre is not meant to be a character one feels badly for (219). But O’Connor created a complicated woman in Mrs. McIntyre because despite it being Mrs. McIntyre’s own doing that she is left to live on her farm alone at the end of the story, I didn’t like the idea that the only person that doesn’t leave Mrs. McIntyre is dead in the ground under a desecrated tombstone.

               

The Gentle Murderer in the Greenleaf Bull

 

                There is a lot that I don’t know what to make of in Flannery O’Connor’s “Greenleaf,” but I kept returning to the idea that the Greenleaf bull is gentle. When Mrs. May first sees the bull she says “get away from here, Sir!” (O’Connor 311). Despite the fact that Mrs. May wants the bull killed she refers to the bull with polite terms multiple times, and though this may be Mrs. May’s way of mocking the bull, it doesn’t change the fact that the bull is addressed politely throughout the story. Both Mr. Greenleaf and Mrs. May speak of the bull – even as they are about to kill him – as if he were a guest who has come to dinner. Mrs. May tells Mr. Greenleaf “the gentleman is waiting for you,” and Mrs. May imagines Mr. Greenleaf saying “If you can find that gentleman in them woods, you’re better than me” (O’Connor 331 & 332). The polite way Mrs. May and Mr. Greenleaf refer to the bull insinuates a respect that I did not expect these characters to have for an escaped bull.

As the bull kills Mrs. May his horn "curved around her side and held her in an unbreakable grip," reminding me of a hug (O'Connor 333). While thinking about the bull’s gentle manner as he stabs Mrs. May through the heart, I began to wonder if Mrs. May’s death was a punishment or a gift. Mrs. May’s sons torment her throughout the story. Though Mrs. May’s clear prejudice and judgement throughout the story can not be excused, I would argue that she does not deserve her sons’ harsh treatment. Because the bull’s actions as he murders Mrs. May are depicted as gentle, it seems that the murder may be a gift to Mrs. May, who must live with her sons who find joy in her torment. Although the description of Mrs. May having her sight restored only to find “the light unbearable,” seems to suggest that through her death Mrs. May has seen her own faults, which would imply that her death is a judgement for her own prejudiced behavior.

                As I tried to interpret the bull’s actions, I thought about Mrs. Greenleaf saying “Oh Jesus, stab me in the heart!” while she is praying, and I wondered if O’Connor is telling her readers that the bull is equivalent to Jesus (O’Connor 317). Based on the previous stories I have read by O’Connor, I would have assumed that the bull was Jesus passing judgement on Mrs. May for her own judgment of the Greenleafs and her disbelief in God. But if the bull’s actions are a judgement, then why is the bull compared to a “tormented lover” as he kills Mrs. May (O’Connor 333)?

                If the bull is comparable to Jesus, then the bull’s actions could be a symbol of Jesus loving all people despite the sins they have committed, or the bull’s actions could show that in taking Mrs. May from the Earth, he does her a kindness. I won’t pretend to know exactly what Flannery O’Connor was thinking when she wrote “Greenleaf,” but religious symbolism is frequently present in O’Connor’s stories, and I would argue that the bull is a symbolism of O’Connor’s idea of a loving but wrathful God.

Barbed Wire is the Same as a Crown of Thorns, Right?

     

            Religion is the dominant topic in the film Wise Blood, and many characters have complex relationships with the idea of religion. Sabbath’s fascination with the shrunken man and her imitation of the virgin Mary contains plenty of symbolism. But I’m going to be honest. I don’t have time to unpack all of that. So Hazel Motes’ fear of religion, which most of the film is centered around and which ultimately leads him to mutilate himself, seems like a good place to start when evaluating Wise Blood.

In the film, Hazel says that he is going to start “the church that the blood of Jesus don’t foul with redemption” (Wise Blood). Hazel is adamant about his disbelief in Jesus. But after watching the end of the film, I began to wonder; If Hazel does not believe in Jesus, then why – after he blinds himself – does he attempt to imitate the actions of Jesus?

Hazel Motes in Wise Blood.
(I'm sorry in advance for making you stare at this picture).

            I found Hazel’s actions at the end of the film exceedingly disturbing, but I could not deny that there seem to be parallels between Hazel’s actions and the events that the Bible speaks of Jesus enduring just before his death. Hazel wraps barbed wire around his body, and though barbed wire may not at first seem biblical, the barbed wire is reminiscent of Jesus’ crown of thorns. The bible says “upon Jesus’ already bloodied head, a crown of thorns was pushed into Him, thus causing exceedingly more blood to flow” (New International Version, Matthew 27:29). In the film, the barbed wire cutting into Hazel’s skin leaves a trail of blood on the sheets. This parallel of the flowing of blood seems to suggest that Hazel spills his blood because he believes that it is the way to redeem himself.

            When I saw Hazel’s blood spilled across his sheets, I began to think about a quote from Hazel. He says that he is “peaceful because my blood set me free” (Wise Blood). Hazel’s statement seems to imply that he believes he has the power to redeem himself just as Jesus is supposed to have the power to redeem sinners. For someone who claims not to believe in Jesus, Hazel mimics Jesus in ways that astounded me as disturbing and desperate attempts at redemption. There is irony in the fact that through grotesque mutilation, Hazel attempts to become like Jesus, thus bringing himself closer to God – Something that Hazel has tried to escape for most of his life. In trying to prove that he doesn’t need Jesus to save him, Hazel becomes a crude imitation of Jesus, and dies in a small room. Hazel – who wishes to save only himself from the wrath of Jesus – is a far cry from the Jesus whose blood “is poured out to forgive the sins of many” (New International Version, Matthew 26:28).

Sources:

The Bible. New International Version, Biblica, 1978.

Wise Blood. Directed by John Huston, New Line Cinema, 1979.

For God’s Sake, Mrs. Turpin – Stop Throwing Stones

                As I read “Revelation,” I wondered why Mary Grace’s words lingered in Mrs. Turpin’s mind. But it seems possible that no one ever insulted Mrs. Turpin so directly before. Most of the characters at the doctor’s office agree with Mrs. Turpin’s assertions, and the African Americans who work for the Turpins continuously tell Mrs. Turpin that she’s the “sweetest white lady [they] know” (O’Connor 505). Until she is attacked by Mary Grace, it never occurs to Mrs. Turpin that she is not favored by God, but Mary Grace’s words make Mrs. Turpin believe that God himself is comparing her to a lowly animal.

            Mrs. Turpin judges others continuously and does not think that she deserves the judgement she has been placing on others. At first, I found the conversation between Mrs. Turpin and the other characters in the doctor’s office tedious. I was repelled by the judgement running through nearly every line. But if I’m learning anything about Flannery O’Connor, it is that, when her readers are uneasy, she has reached her goal in showing her audience a fundamental flaw in human nature.

I was astounded by Mrs. Turpin’s assertions that she is kind to all people, but then I realized that Mrs. Turpin genuinely believes she is a good person. As Mrs. Turpin likes to remind readers, “It’s no trash around here, black or white, that [she] hasn’t given to” (O’Connor 597). Mrs. Turpin does not see the fault in her ways, which is why she becomes furious when she believes that God is telling her she is no better than those she considers beneath her.

When Mrs. Turpin sees the souls entering heaven, I thought of the Bible verse that says “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone” (King James Bible, John. 8:7). Mrs. Turpin’s derogatory comments and use of racial slurs clearly show that she casts plenty of stones. Through the vision of souls ascending to heaven, it seems that God is telling Mrs. Turpin that those she sees as worse than animals are ascending to heaven, while she is still on Earth. I think that when O’Connor wrote the ending of “Revelation,” she was reminding her readers that God does not favor one type of person over another, and people who think that they can choose who is worthy of heaven have overlooked God’s teachings.

Sources: The Bible. Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.

Who Sees the Good in Humanity? Certainly Not Flannery O'Connor

          

A depiction of the final scene of "A Good Man is Hard to Find."

              Flannery O’Connor writes about a gentlemanly murderer in her story “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” I think that the killers’ attempt at a civilized version of the act of murder is used to emphasize the irony of the title. The title “A Good Man is Hard to Find” causes me to wonder what makes a good man. I began to think about “The Misfit” compared to Bailey. Bailey is often harsh toward his mother, and after the car accident, the grandmother is “curled up under the dashboard, hoping she [is] injured so that Bailey’s wrath [will] not come down on her all at once” (O’Connor 125). So when The Misfit speaks to the grandmother and tells Hiram to “hep that lady” out of the ditch, his actions right before he and his companions murder the entire family seem almost gentlemanly compared to Bailey’s actions (O’Connor 131). The Misfit’s seemingly odd and uncharacteristic actions (for an escaped convict) cause the reader to wonder what constitutes a good man.

                It also seems important to note that The Misfit was not planning to murder the family until the grandmother recognized him as The Misfit. This may seem a small detail, but if The Misfit was not originally planning to murder the family, then why would he stop on the road after the family crashed? I think that The Misfit was going to help the family. By stopping to help the family, The Misfit displays the qualities of a good Samaritan. The character who possibly killed his own father and eventually killed a helpless old woman stops to help a family who crashed their car. Since I read “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” I have been stuck on the idea that The Misfit was actually planning to help before he was identified.

                Douglas Novich Leonard, author of the article “Experiencing Flannery O’Connor’s ‘A Good Man is Hard to Find,'” stated that Flannery O’Connor’s goal in her writing is to show that “all humans are morally grotesque” (Leonard 1). If O’Connor wants to show the painfully grotesque aspects of humanity, it seems odd that she portrays some of The Misfit’s actions as kind and gentle. It occurred to me though that perhaps O’Connor is attempting to convince her readers of this moral grotesqueness by writing about a character who may at first seem kind. O’Connor shows the good in The Misfit just before unmasking the horrible reality of the murderous man. O’Connor needs to show the side of The Misfit that could be perceived as kind in order to crush her readers’ hopes that The Misfit is ultimately a moral person. It seems that in “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” Flannery O’Connor laughs at readers who wish to see the good in humanity. The children are clearly spoiled, Bailey is harsh and uncaring toward his mother, and the grandmother is manipulative. The characters in the story are not what I would consider good people. In the story, in an attempt to convince him not to kill her, the grandmother tells The Misfit that he is “a good man at heart,” (O’Connor 128). And just like the grandmother in that moment, I wished to find the good in the characters, but Flannery O’Connor makes her point when The Misfit murders the entire family. Humanity is sinful, and if you think otherwise, you’re ignoring the cruelty and violence hidden just beneath the surface.

Sources:

Leonard, Douglas Novich. “Experiencing Flannery O’Connor’s ‘A Good Man Is Hard To Find.’”         Interpretations, vol. 14, no. 2, 1983, p. 1. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23241513. Accessed 29             Jan. 2021.