Dissecting The Southern Malaise

Flannery O·Connor (1925-1964) is one of the foremost American short story writerswho left a literary legacy of two novels and thirty-one short stories. Her death from lupusat the young age of39is regarded as a great loss to American literature.Large quantities of O·Connor criticism focus on the Gothic elements and religiousthemes, but not much has been said about her philosophical ideas. Through a reading ofO·Connor·s anatomy of the social malaise, especially shown in the physical, mental, andspiritual sickness prevalent in her southern context, this thesis aims to interpret O·Connor·sshort stories from the existentialist perspective. As a devout Roman Catholic writer,O·Connor shows a deep concern for the spiritual well-being of humanity in an unbelievingage.This thesis is divided into five chapters. In detail, Chapter One provides a briefintroduction to Flannery O·Connor and her works, a general overview of the criticism onthe writer and her short stories, and some existentialistic concepts which serve as thetheoretical framework for the thesis. Chapter Two centers on O·Connor·s depiction of thedisease in the bodies of three physically deformed characters all of them demonic figureswith unabashed amorality. Chapter Three examines the novelist·s treatment of the diseaseof the sight. It investigates a group of visually impaired people who, in their conflict withthemselves and others, suffer a loss of subjectivity. Chapter Four analyzes the disease ofthe spirit as manifested by an overwhelming sense of despair that is commonplace toO·Connor·s unbelievers or pseudo-Christians void of faith. Its major symptoms are beingunconscious of having a self and not wanting to be oneself. Chapter Five concludes thatwhat lies behind O·Connor·s portrayal of the diseased population is her solicitude for thecommon experience of mankind and her diagnosis of the malaise of the whole society. TheSouth thus becomes her great metaphor for the degenerate human existence.