This project addresses the narrative voice(s) in Flannery OConnors short stories, particularly in relation to her conception of art. OConnor critics often polarize the cultural and religious worth of her stories. As a Catholic, OConnor was convinced that the the ultimate reality is the Incarnation (HB 92). As an artist, OConnor believed that fiction should begin with a writers attention to the natural world as she comprehends it through the senses. It is no wonder, then, that her fiction lends itself well to critics interested in both her theology and her presentation of issues of race, class, and gender.
My project describes how OConnors use of free indirect discourse, a narrative mode that blends third and first person narrative elements, positions her theology within her culture especially in the short story form. While many OConnor critics address issues of narrative voice, few have explored OConnors use of free indirect discourse, a characteristic feature of her stories. Through free indirect discourse, OConnor presents third person stories through a single characters perspective, a perspective that proves insufficient by the storys epiphanic end. That characters perspective, rooted in OConnors observations of a racially charged Southern climate in the mid-twentieth century, speaks to his cultural situation. Because OConnor positions the perspectives of her characters within a larger framework that questions their validity, she draws on her characters cultural situations to reveal human limitation and disconnectedness, both important elements of her theology. My project shifts its focus to race to emphasize the extent to which OConnor is drawing on her culture.
Ultimately, OConnors stories, when analyzed through their use of free indirect discourse, answer how manners reveal mystery, how culture informs theology, and finally, how we might investigate OConnors stories, mindful of both their religious and cultural impact.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-04042006-124302 |
| Date | 04 April 2006 |
| Creators | Hopkins, Denise |
| Contributors | Brannon Costello, John May, Katherine Henninger |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04042006-124302/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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