Question

You've read Flannery O'Connor's short stories and read Joyce Carol Oates "Reflections on the Grotesque." Broadly, the grotesque is defined as something that is repulsive, yet evokes empathy, and it is used often in Southern Gothic fiction. Choose one character from Flannery O'Connor's stories, and explain why you think this character fits the definition of "grotesque."

Answer 1

Answer:

In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” the grandmother undergoes a personal transformation at the end of the story. At the beginning of the story, the grandmother is shown to have beliefs that prioritize appearance over virtuousness. However, at the end of the story, while trying to convince The Misfit to spare her life, her beliefs appear to be different. She seems to realize her flaws and reaches out to The Misfit in a caring way, even though he is about to shoot her.

She saw the man's face twisted close to her own as if he were going to cry and she murmured, "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children!" She reached out and touched him on the shoulder.

The ending shows how the character of the grandmother changes in response to a terrible situation. She acts forgiving rather than judgmental. However, the situation does not improve and the grandmother is murdered anyway.

Explanation:

PLATO

Answer 2

Answer:

the focus is on the strange and ugly, often as an aspect of the physical body. It can also encompass themes of horror, death, and violence, with abhorrent characters. At the end of the day, O'Connor preferred her work be considered realism, rather than grotesque or gothic.

Explanation: