Divinity and Humanity in the Short Stories of Flannery O Connor A Study

Transcription

1 Divinity and Humanity in the Short Stories of Flannery O Connor A Study Dissertation submitted to the Bharathiar University in partial fulfillment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Literature Submitted by NISHA M.X M.A., M.Phil. Under the Guidance of Dr. T.K. HEMALATHA M.A., M. Phil., Ph.D., Associate Professor DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH NIRMALA COLLEGE FOR WOMEN (Autonomous) Affiliated to Bharathiar University (Reaccredited with A Grade by NAAC) Red Fields, Coimbatore , India. March 2014

2 Declaration

3 DECLARATION I, NISHA M.X, hereby declare that the project entitled Divinity and Humanity in the Short Stories Flannery O Connor - A Study, submitted to the Bharathiar University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Literature, is a record of original and independent research work done by me during the period under the supervision and guidance of Dr. T.K. Hemalatha, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Department of English, Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore, and that it has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree / Diploma / Associateship / Fellowship or any other similar title to any other candidates in any other universities. Place: Date : Nisha M.X.

4 Certificate

5 CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the project entitled title Divinity and Humanity in the Short Stories Flannery O Connor - A Study, submitted to the Bharathiar University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Literature, is a record of original and independent research work done by NISHA M.X. during the period of her study in the Department of English at Nirmala College For Women, Coimbatore, under my supervision and guidance and the project has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree / Diploma / Associateship / Fellowship or any other similar title to any other candidates in any other universities. Place: Date:. Dr. T. K. Hemalatha M.A., M. Phil., Ph.D. Guide Department of English Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore Rev.Dr. Sr. Dona Grace Jeyaseely M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Mrs. Anuradha M.A., M.Phil., Principal Head of the Department of English Nirmala College for Women, Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore. Coimbatore.

6 Acknowledgement

7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It gives me great pleasure in expressing my gratitude to all those who have supported me in making this dissertation possible. First and foremost I thank The Almighty for blessing and guiding me throughout my period of research. I express my profound sense of reverence and deepest gratitude to my guide, Dr.T.K. Hemalatha M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of English, Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore. I also thank her for her valuable guidance, suggestion and encouragement during the entire process of my thesis. I would like to thank Mrs. Anuradha, M.A., M.Phil., Head of the Department of English, for her support and motivation. I extend my sincere thanks to our reverend Principal, Dr. Sr. Dona Grace Jeyaseli, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., for providing me with all the facilities in the college and helping me to carry out the thesis. I wish to express my gratefulness to the Librarian, Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore and the librarians of American Research Centre, Hyderabad and American Centre Library, Chennai. A special word of thanks to Mrs. Latha Menon, Miss Sangavai, Miss Manju Kumari and Miss Radika Gopal for all their valuable insights and technical guidance. I am grateful to my parents Mr. M.P. Xavier and Mrs. Omana Xavier for their prayers and encouragement. A special word of thanks to my brother, Mr. Santhosh M.X., for his constant support during my course of study. I also thank my in-laws Mr A.T Jacob and Mrs. Lissy Jacob for their help and support. I always fall short of words to describe the untiring help and valuable guidance from my husband, Mr. Lijo Jacob and I also thank my daughter Miss Nikita Lijo for her co-operation and love during the course of my research.

8 Abstract

9 Abstract Divinity and Humanity in the Short Stories of Flannery O Connor A Study The study titled Divinity and Humanity in the Short Stories of Flannery O Connor A Study attempts to explore the aforesaid theme in her short story collections namely, A Good Man is Hard to Find and Everything That Rises Must Converge. In the works of Flannery O Connor, spirituality aids one to see the image of God and goodness in oneself and his fellow beings. This humanistic approach of O Connor moulds one to be compassionate and responsible. Chapter 1 titled Introduction: The Rise of Southern Literature traces the origin of American literature and the rise of Southern American Literature after the civil war. It describes some of the major concerns of the Southern writers such as the burden of the past, significance of family and community, displacement and dislocation, religion and lifestyles of the south, racial tensions, southern landscape and use of the southern dialect. It also gives a detailed account of Flannery O Connor s short stories and further emphasizes that she has a distinctive voice and vision that characterizes her works. Chapter 2 titled Grotesque Personalities: Disintegrated Individuals is a study of disintegrated individuals, who strive to attain completeness and wholeness in destructive and perverted deeds. Flannery O Connor s profound awareness of the evil in man made her use freakish and grotesque figures in her fictional works to satirize the inhumanity of the consumerist society. Manley Pointer of Good Country People, Tom T. Shiftlet of The Life You Save May Be Your Own, The Misfit of A Good man Is Hard to Find, O.E. Parker of Parker s Back, Sarah Ham of The Comforts of Home, Mr. Paradise of The River, Rufus Johnson of The Lame Shall Enter First and the Hermaphrodite of

10 A Temple of the Holy Ghost are grotesque characters with distorted self and vision of life. They march towards disintegration and disorientation because of their fragmented selves. Their self is divided as they are devoid of spiritual and psychological wholeness. These grotesque personalities establish damaging and regressive types of relationships, and have little concern for the world outside. They seek their own gratification and fulfilment by resorting to aberrative and socially unacceptable methods. Yet, O Connor makes the presence of these demonic figures to offer grace to themselves and others in the story. There is a tension between accepting and rejecting grace which moves and involves one to sympathize with the grotesque personalities. Chapter 3 titled Fragmented Families: Dysfunctional Familial Relationships explores the cause of the disunited relationships within families. Flannery O Connor s stories are full of intrusive mothers, repulsive sons, arrogant daughters, neglected children and proud grandfathers. She criticizes the atheistic, hedonistic, and materialistic parents who fail to inculcate values and morals to their younger generation. Parental indifference and parental neglect culminate in suicide or even murder of a child or parent. Such relationships are explored in The Comforts of Home, The Enduring Chill, The River and The Lame Shall Enter First. The strained relationships between grandfather and granddaughter are analysed in A Late Encounter with the Enemy and A View of the Woods. The bonding of mother and daughter is dealt in A Circle in the Fire. It is significant to mention that the last story A Stroke of Good Fortune traces the protagonist s acceptance of motherhood, which positively hints at the possibility of nurturing a meaningful family. In the stories analysed in this chapter, it is seen that the families are divided and loveless due to personal egoism, materialistic concerns and lack of spirituality. The parents are unable to provide emotional and psychological support to

11 their children. Flannery O Connor holds that man can be happy only when there is a sense of belongingness to his family and community. The family with strong foundations based on spirituality and faith in God enhances the quality of life and contributes to positive social, familial and moral relationship of an individual. As a result, conflicts and friction disappear giving way to mutual respect and understanding. This power of love can heal the alienation, depression, frustration, and sense of loss in man. Chapter 4 titled Distorted Society: Racial and Intergenerational Conflicts makes a study of the fall of the self-egoistic and self-righteous characters in The Artificial Nigger, Everything That Rises Must Converge, Judgment Day, Revelation, Greenleaf and The Displaced Person. In these stories, racial tensions and intergenerational conflicts in a changing social set-up is analysed. The older generation like, Mr.Head, Julian s mother, Tanner, Mrs. Greenleaf, Mrs. Ruby Turpin, Mrs. Shortley and Mrs. McIntyre enjoy racial power and superiority, but as the hierarchy crumbles, they fear their loss of power and dominance over the lower section of the community. Hence they rebel and openly express their disapproval over the equality of both races. However, their arrogance and pride is humbled in the presence of God s violent agents of painful spiritual revelations. The younger generations like Nelson, Julian, Tanner s daughter and Greenleaf s sons, Scofield and Wesley are caught in the changing social scenario. O Connor admits that racial adjustments and interactions can be planted in America by uprooting the southern constructed social hierarchies. Her stories point out to the need to transcend the stereotyped notions of blacks and whites, to question and alter the widely accepted social norms of her time that placed whites firmly superior to blacks, both socially and economically. O Connor s fiction calls for a common humanity and an inclusive integrated society at large.

12 Chapter 5 titled Summation: The Quintessence of Human Life deals with the interconnectedness of the themes analysed in the earlier chapters. It traces the characters inner conflicts as they travel from unbelief to belief. Flannery O Connor s unbelieving society seems to be on the verge of catastrophe which depicts the crumbling world of the secular society having perverted morals and renunciation of religious values. Through her works, O Connor attempts to project the rejection and acceptance of the Divine will rather than man s free will. She not only depicts man in his fallen state but also offers hope and an opportunity of salvation for his inner soul. This positive element transcends the religious and geographical boundaries and stands for the human community as a whole. She acknowledges the existence of evil and promises salvation to man by fortifying oneself in Divinity. To be precise, O Connor s fictional world is a revelation of the mystery of God. To her, divinity and humanity is the quintessence of human life.