Flanner O' Connor

Flannery O’Connor’s religion and her regional ancestry had an impact on her work. I too am a southerner and a Catholic, so I can see where they both come in. There is a strong sense of right and wrong in the Catholic faith. Strict standards, sometimes high, are pressed upon those who follow faith and even on those who don’t. Rules like those who commit suicide are destined for hell. We consider it a sin, while other religions may not. It is the belief that to take even your own life is a decision you are not allowed to make. These are high standards of morality that our religion sometimes focuses on. Flannery O’Connor shows that especially in her work like “A Good Man is Hard to Find” when Judgement comes in the form of a serial killer who has these high standards of good people.
Born in Georgia, Flanner O’Connor’s environment has an effect on her work. She shows it in dialogue, in vocabulary, and also in character development. Religion is a strong influence in the south, and O’Connor shows that in her work with the mention of Jesus and the hypocrisy of believing in good and doing the right thing. She also shows it in her settings such as using Tennesee and Florida in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” She also uses race in her stories which is constant issue in the south, and she uses racial slurs in dialogue to reveal the southern ancestry and racist ethics of the south. The south is also sometimes depicted as a contrasting blend of grotesque violence and ignorance with rich ancestry and history. Flannery O’Connor usually shows these characters that think themselves “old southern belles” being rude and repulsive.