Current Search: WERSHOVEN, CAROL JEAN. (x)
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Title
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THE WORLD UNBALANCED: THE THEME OF DISORDER IN THE SHORT STORIES OF FLANNERY O'CONNOR.
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Creator
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WERSHOVEN, CAROL JEAN., Florida Atlantic University, Pearce, Howard D.
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Abstract/Description
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Flannery O'Connor's short stories often involve a moment of recognition/reversal in which an offering of grace is accompanied by a toppling of the protagonist's sense of social order. The protagonist, who considers himself in some way superior, may be "leveled" into a chaotic equality with all sinners, or he may find the tables turned on him: one who was "first" may become "last." Or both these things may happen to the same protagonist. Such protagonists may be Strong Women, who need to...
Show moreFlannery O'Connor's short stories often involve a moment of recognition/reversal in which an offering of grace is accompanied by a toppling of the protagonist's sense of social order. The protagonist, who considers himself in some way superior, may be "leveled" into a chaotic equality with all sinners, or he may find the tables turned on him: one who was "first" may become "last." Or both these things may happen to the same protagonist. Such protagonists may be Strong Women, who need to believe in an ordered world to maintain their security and status, or Intellectuals, who isolate themselves from the real world, or Displaced Persons, who experience disorder through displacement, or Dwellers in the Past or the Future, who attempt to escape disorder through a retreat into different time periods. Various devices in the stories, such as the double, irony, and symbols, heighten the sense of disorder.
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Date Issued
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1974
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13619
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Subject Headings
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O'Connor, Flannery--Criticism and interpretation
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Format
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Document (PDF)
