An Analysis Of Wise Blood From The Perspective Of Nihilism

Flannery O'Connor is regarded as one of the most outstanding Southern writers in America after William Faulkner.As an important writer in American literature,O'Conner leaves the world with precious spiritual wealth within her short lifetime.Her literatures expose the social reality with religious setting and gothic grotesque style.Her first novel Wise Blood well reflects her talent in literature and her penetrating insight of social problems in modern society.Wise Blood is a story of Hazel Motes,who was brought up in a rural Christian family,thus he wanted to make a preacher like his grandfather in the future since he was a child.But under the strict sermons by his family members he became fear of Jesus and sin.He was enrolled in the army and fought wars abroad,from which he was wounded both physically and psychologically.Along with the loss of his homeland and family,he began doubting his former faith.After he retired from the army,Haze left for the city Taulkinham,where he attempted to found the Church without Christ.However,the inhabitants there were indulging themselves in material life and no one cared about his preach.In order to deny the existence of sin and Jesus,he experienced sin of adultery,blasphemy and murder.But contradictions and pain haunted him all the time.He finally realized the truth of himself by a sudden violence.He blinded his eyes and died in the penance for his sin.O'Conner reveals a spiritual wasteland of American society at her time through the novel.She thinks that nihilism has affected people in every corner of the society.At the same time,she offers a way out of nihilism.Studies on O'Conner's Wise Blood often deal with its religious theme and gothic grotesque writing style.This thesis combines philosophical ideology with literature and analyzes Wise Blood from the perspective of nihilism,exploring its realistic meaning to present society.This thesis consists of an introduction,a main body and a conclusion.The introduction analyzes the research background and research status at home and abroad of this research field.And it also points out the meaning and application value of this thesis on the development of present society.The main body is made up of three chapters:Chapter One analyzes the connotation of nihilism and its influence.It first discusses the connotation of nihilism from the philosophical point of view.Nihilism,which denies the values and meaning of human existence,turns the world meaningless.Then it elaborates the great influence of nihilism on post-war American Southern literature.The spread of nihilism plays a conspicuous role in the development of American literature over the period.Almost every literary work bears a nihilistic color and embodies discontent,despair and critique to society.At last it analyzes the influence of nihilism on O'Connor within the social background at her time as well as her distinct view upon nihilism.As a post-war Southern writer,her writings are also rife with concerns about nihilism.According to O'Connor,it is nihilism that causes the spiritual crisis of modern society.And literary works has the responsibility to show people the evil of nihilism,at the same time,guide them out of nihilism.Chapter Two makes a relatively detailed analysis on the nihilism presented in Wise Blood.Firstly,through the analysis of Taulkinham city and its inhabitants of all sorts,a greedy,faithless and indifferent nihilistic world is disclosed.The city Taulkinham Hazel Motes settled in was an epitome of the materialistic modern society.All the people he encountered there were greedy,selfish and deceitful,such as Asa Hawks and Hoover Shoats.Hazel Motes'preach about the new religion was even plagiarized to make money.On the other hand,deep in his heart,Hazel Motes was tortured by his struggle of faith in Christianity.In order to get the truth,he began a lonely and tortuous spiritual search in Taulkinham.Haze's spiritual search in this nihilistic world is just the process of his spiritual conversion as he stepped into nihilism.Finally it discusses the causes of nihilism embodied in Hazel Motes from social environment,influence of his family and his wound from the war.His sufferings both physical and mental as well as the desperate social environment inevitably push him into the abyss of nihilism.Chapter Three mainly focuses on how O'Connor guides people to get out of nihilism based on Wise Blood.It first clarifies the significance of sin and redemption in O'Connor's literary world.Her critique on nihilism is added to the concept of sin and redemption in Christianity.Sin provides possibility for redemption.And gaining redemption is the effective way out of nihilism.Nihilism breeds in people's sins.To O'Connor,only violence can shock people to realize their sins so that they can get redemption.Then it analyzes the sin Haze conducted and the process of he gained God's grace and redemption.To deny the existence of sin and Jesus,Haze committed adultery,blasphemy and murder.Suffered the violence attack by a patrolman,he quickly woke up to his sin and began to take a way of penance.At last,it reveals the collapse of nihilism through Haze's conversion from nihilism to God and exhorts people to regain faith to get out of nihilism.Haze abandoned himself to nihilism in his search for faith with conflicts and pain.However,the sudden violence awakened him and returned him to God's bosom.He finally gained God's grace and redemption at the moment of death thus got out of nihilism.The conclusion makes a summary of the above analysis and points out the purpose and realistic meaning of this thesis.Through Wise Blood,O'Connor reveals a spiritual wasteland of American society,especially the Southern society in the 20^th century.She alarms modern people to regain faith and get rid of nihilism by Hazel Motes'converted course.This thesis analyzes Wise Blood from the perspective of nihilism to turn the readers to self-reflection that facing spiritual and moral crisis in present society,people should rebuild fine morality and values so as to exterminate nihilism around.