Wise Blood Synopsis

In his play Where the Blood Mixes, Kevin Loring casts light on the rippling effects of the trauma caused by residential schools on generations of Indigenous peoples in the twenty first century. Loring's play, which is set in the twenty first century, illuminates the present-day legacy of residential schools and residential school survivors. Loring strives not to minimize the experiences of residential school survivors, but to reconstruct how residential school survivors are viewed and represented. Loring achieves this task through his depiction of characters that are sad but loving and funny people with hobbies, people who are not consumed with and defined by their residential school experiences but continue to feel its painful

Mary Flannery O’ Connor is an American writer and essayist. She is widely known for her Southern Gothic style of writing and her used of gnarled characters in her stories. O’Connor is also famed for her twists in her stories, she usually leaves hints towards the stories’ direction in the form of foreshadowing and this is what gives O’Connor’s writing much merit and influence.

The Strongest Blood tells the story of two cousins in an Indigenous setting, living in the Northwest Territories. Anyone who has read The Strongest Blood knows how it centers in on the teachings of Indigenous peoples and the struggles and conflicts that they face involving their land, spiritual beliefs, and economy. Van Camp’s extensive use of literary techniques directs the spotlight on the two major themes of Indigeneity, and economical conflict while creating an interesting environment for the reader.

In her book Wise Blood, Flannery O’Connor sends Hazel Motes on a journey her readers gladly follow. Looking for salvation, redemption, and truth Hazel Motes finds his faith and, consequently, himself. Sabbath Lily says about the man: "I like his eyes. They don't look like they see what he's looking at, but they keep on looking" (O’Connor, 105). Motes, intent on his search for salvation, for something beyond himself and those around him, is blind to all that is in front or around him. Salvation is hard, and the path is not easy, but by the end of the novel, he finds salvation and his own identity in a process of denial, confusion, and acceptance.

Living in poverty with "slut" painted on her reputation, her children’s future begins to look dim. Hester takes chances with opportunity’s to receive help from Doctor, social services, her children’s fathers and her only friend. The play circles around Hester’s interactions with the other characters ' and their stories (confessions). Each of character has had an involvement with Hester 's struggling predicament and yet each character only ruminates at helping themselves instead of the woman that’s helped them all. The modern-day play In the Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks exposes the hypocrisy and prejudice of the privileged members of society toward the less privileged. The play shows that the richest and most respected people in society are not always worthy of the status they are accorded.

“Could I change it if I wanted, can I rise above the flood? / Will it wash out in the water, or is it always in the blood?” (Mayer). A question posed by the artist John Mayer holds true for the characters in Flannery O’Connor’s most famous novel, Wise Blood. In this novel, O’Connor paints a picture of a small town in the heart of the Bible Belt and the internal struggle of its inhabitants. The protagonist, Hazel Motes, procures a twisted version of the Gospel and evangelizes to those who are made to believe they are lost. Yet, according to the teachings of Haze, this picture that humans are inherently sinful and in need of saving is false. In this novel, Flannery O’Connor uses inanimate objects to show the attempts of Haze to replace what he knows to be true. Enoch Emory, on the other hand, struggles with a curse he believes he was born with – wise blood. The prevalent themes of symbolism and imagery in Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood represent the inner battle between spirituality and the human nature of rebellion.

Flannery O'Connor used a very different type of southern gothic writing style. Her writing had an unexpected turn of events and cliffhangers making the readers have to think about what the ending would be like. Two of her stories "Good Country People" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" both display O'Conners religious Catholic background. At the end, the turn of events for these stories is drastic, for example, in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" the Grandmother gets shot dead. While in "Good Country People" Joy loses her dignity, pride, and faith in men. They both change a great deal when abandoned hopeless.

Flannery O’Connor was born on March 25, 1925, in Savannah, Georgia. She was an American writer. O’Connor wrote two novels and 32 short stories in her life time. She was a southern writer who wrote in Southern Gothic style. In the Article, Female Gothic Fiction Carolyn E. Megan asks Dorothy Allison what Southern Gothic is to her and she responded with, “It’s a lyrical tradition. Language. Iconoclastic, outrageous as hell, leveled with humor. Yankees do it, but Southerners do it more. It’s the grotesque.”(Bailey 1) Later she was asked who one of her role models was and she stated that Flannery O’Connor was one she could relate to. One of O’Connor’s stronger works was “Good Country People” which was published in 1955.

Later in the night he cried; his aunt told his uncle that he was crying because of the Holy Ghost in his life; when instead he was crying because he questioned if God existed or not for he did not come for him when he was on the bench with the other children. He didn’t believe there was a Jesus anymore.

Southern gothic is a type of literature that focuses on the harsh conflicts of violence and racism, which is observed in the perspective of black and white individuals. Some of the most familiar southern authors are William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, and Cormac McCarthy. One author in particular, Flannery O’Connor, is a remarkable author, who directly reflects upon southern grotesque within her two short stories, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “Revelation.” These two short stories are very similar to each other, which is why I believe that O’Connor often writes with violent characters to expose real violence in the world while tying them in with a particular spiritual insight.

Flannery O’Conner, a Gothic literature writer, has written several short stories throughout her life. Among these stories, two of them being A Good Man is Hard to Find and Good Country People, she has included some of the most fleshed out and grotesque characters I have ever read. O’Conner brings her characters to life throughout her writing in near flawless and subtle detail with ironic humor. For example, O’Conner makes skillful use of ironic names for her characters. The titles and names such as grandmother, the misfit, Joy/Hulga, and the bible salesman are used ironically. These subtle characterizations help guide the reader to the final, and often times ironic, conclusions all her characters deserve.

Hazel then decide to leave Eastrod and go Taulkinham, He tries to get rid of all thoughts of redemption. He is very persistent on the fact that God does not exist, “Do you think I believe in Jesus? …. Well I wouldn’t even if He existed.” (O’Connor 10).

Just like any other kid would, Hughes listens and believes word-for-word what his aunt tells him: "She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul." (181) This naivete is characteristic of youths of that age group. After all, he "heard a great many old people say the same thing" (181) and it seemed to him "they ought to know" (181). With all the hype and anticipation surrounding this event, Hughes is certain something is bound to happen. His disappointment is manifested when he does not literally see Jesus. From what he has been told, Hughes is expecting to see a human incarnation of Jesus. He is actually more than just expecting to see him; he badly wants to be saved! Seeing Westley give up so carelessly, triggers an awkward feeling inside of Hughes. The thought that Jesus is not going to show up after all is starting to grow. That leads him to eventually give up and join Westley in lying. It is only at night that he comes to the realization that he was fooled. All the stories and preaching he heard were just fabulations. He wanted to see Jesus, but Jesus did not come at his rescue. His perception changed because he went from being an innocent child to someone who has acquired the personal experience to make his own judgements.

But what was so venerable person doing in that forest at night? The old man with the staff really knew Aunt Cloyse. He knew the old woman was destined for hell not him. Not because his life was Faith, she was the one who kept him sane before such revelation. He questioned the old person with the staff about that old woman and only Goodman stay alone. Surprised and overwhelmed by the resent event, Brown stops in the middle of the road. The Devil grants him a maple stick that had previously taken from the floor, so the young man can reach him when he pleases. Brown thinks about going home but before realizing the idea when suddenly in the distance he thought he heard horses, he hid again and presumed he recognized those voices. It could not be, he discovers with surprise that the pastor and deacon of his church are heading towards the same diabolical meeting to which they had invited him (Hawthorne). Then went to a meeting those who by day spoke against sorcerers and distant peoples, for what reasons they skirted them to behave in ways different from everything if Goodman knew about

Southern Gothic literature has rooted itself in American culture and created several classic short stories that have pushed literary boundaries and minds. Among the most influential of these Southern Gothic stories is “A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner; “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, and “Good Country People”, both by Flannery O’Connor. After first discussing what characteristics make up the genre of Southern Gothic, each of these stories will be evaluated and discussed in terms of what makes each of them a prime example of Southern Gothic literature.