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.