I have read most of Ms. O'Connor's writings ( If I have not given it away, I can give you a book if all her works and another one of her prayer journals- but that us a big 'if' ) and plainly speaking, this was never one of my favorites, as reading it several times, I have never yet understood what the young author wanted me to see or learn from this tale. The Nihilist in me would say, no matter what you do or how you live, you are only going to die and lay in a ditch someday, decomposing. The Fatalist would say, you can live life your own way for only so long but Granny, your day is going to come, no matter how you try to avoid it. The Cynic in me says, if you constantly try to please some spoiled egocentric old Grandma, you will only get yourself killed in the end. I mean, I see and appreciate the family dynamic, so perfectly expressed in so few words by Ms. O'Connor. BUT -
The Misfit- and his toadies- who or what is he meant to represent? - Is he a mere plot device, a foil for the shocking end of the tale? Is he the embodiment of pure evil, like the pyschopathic Judge Holden, conjured from the suppurating mind of McCarthy, existing for no purpose but to instill dread and loathing in the reader? And why are we informed ( if indeed he is telling the truth, which is not at all certain ) that he does not remember what he did to end up in prison? Are we to feel a pang of pity, thinking that perhaps whatever he did was so horrific that his mind refuses to hold the memory and instead simply relegates the deed to some dark recess of unconsciousness? Are we to think that, by his being a "different breed", that in his childhood he exhibited some form of antisocial behavior, mindless cruelty or sadistic tendencies explained away by his golden hearted father? I realize that I have bloviated far more than necessary, to reach the honest, if unsatisfying, conclusion, that as much as I admire Flannery O'Connor, as talented and gifted as she was, I remain as clueless about the deep meanings in this tale, as the first time I read it.
I have to confess, even with me spending so much time on this story, I still don't think I've come fully to grips with the intention, either. I very much get the feel there was some message about good vs evil and meeting your judgement, but the grandmother hardly commits acts of evil throughout to warrant such an entity as The Misfit.
I'd love to hear if you have any tales of hers you'd recommend me given your experience with her.
Hi, Paul. I will still search for the complete works book and if it is here, you are welcome to it. But three of the most impressive and memorable tales of Ms O'Connor, to me are these- and a warning that two are, at least on the surface, concluded with depressing final scenes although the depth of the themes within, the intricacies of the plots, are exquisite; and the third is simply amazing. By the way, her use of names, places and words in general, are often so very symbolic of themes within, which I am sure you already know. Anyway, the stories are, The River, The Lame Shall Enter First and Revelation. Hope you get a chance to read them.
I have read most of Ms. O'Connor's writings ( If I have not given it away, I can give you a book if all her works and another one of her prayer journals- but that us a big 'if' ) and plainly speaking, this was never one of my favorites, as reading it several times, I have never yet understood what the young author wanted me to see or learn from this tale. The Nihilist in me would say, no matter what you do or how you live, you are only going to die and lay in a ditch someday, decomposing. The Fatalist would say, you can live life your own way for only so long but Granny, your day is going to come, no matter how you try to avoid it. The Cynic in me says, if you constantly try to please some spoiled egocentric old Grandma, you will only get yourself killed in the end. I mean, I see and appreciate the family dynamic, so perfectly expressed in so few words by Ms. O'Connor. BUT -
The Misfit- and his toadies- who or what is he meant to represent? - Is he a mere plot device, a foil for the shocking end of the tale? Is he the embodiment of pure evil, like the pyschopathic Judge Holden, conjured from the suppurating mind of McCarthy, existing for no purpose but to instill dread and loathing in the reader? And why are we informed ( if indeed he is telling the truth, which is not at all certain ) that he does not remember what he did to end up in prison? Are we to feel a pang of pity, thinking that perhaps whatever he did was so horrific that his mind refuses to hold the memory and instead simply relegates the deed to some dark recess of unconsciousness? Are we to think that, by his being a "different breed", that in his childhood he exhibited some form of antisocial behavior, mindless cruelty or sadistic tendencies explained away by his golden hearted father? I realize that I have bloviated far more than necessary, to reach the honest, if unsatisfying, conclusion, that as much as I admire Flannery O'Connor, as talented and gifted as she was, I remain as clueless about the deep meanings in this tale, as the first time I read it.
Hey Julian, glad as always to read your thoughts.
I have to confess, even with me spending so much time on this story, I still don't think I've come fully to grips with the intention, either. I very much get the feel there was some message about good vs evil and meeting your judgement, but the grandmother hardly commits acts of evil throughout to warrant such an entity as The Misfit.
I'd love to hear if you have any tales of hers you'd recommend me given your experience with her.
Hi, Paul. I will still search for the complete works book and if it is here, you are welcome to it. But three of the most impressive and memorable tales of Ms O'Connor, to me are these- and a warning that two are, at least on the surface, concluded with depressing final scenes although the depth of the themes within, the intricacies of the plots, are exquisite; and the third is simply amazing. By the way, her use of names, places and words in general, are often so very symbolic of themes within, which I am sure you already know. Anyway, the stories are, The River, The Lame Shall Enter First and Revelation. Hope you get a chance to read them.
Thank you! I shall certainly hunt them down.