The Violent Bear It Away (vol. II)

Flannery O’Connor’s work is most certainly the most difficult I’ve had to evaluate this semester. Unlike the other works, the reality here is purposely distorted and the characters not simply living in a magical world. When we think of a bildungsroman we typically think of a work which follows the positive growth of a young protagonist. However, if anything, O’Connor’s work is an example of a negative bildungsroman. Francis is set on a course of inevitable destruction because he has two forces at play in his life ripping him into pieces. On the one hand, Francis must wrestle with the pulling force of the mad faith of Old Tarwater. On the other hand, Rayber’s cold, emotionless reason attempts to drag Francis to the opposite end. I refer to Old Tarwater and Rayber as “forces” because that is truly how they function, there is no acts of love to win over Francis but only the hope to pummel him into submission. Each is attempting to create a boy in their own image, the force of which ultimately tears the boy apart. As a result, reading O’Connor’s work is much like watching a car accident take place. Francis is set on a course of destruction (getting drunk leads to burning the house which ultimately leads to murder) because he is placed in a world in which love is an idea that people speak about but are unable to express. In a loveless world, neither true words nor nice acts can save a boy who is tragically bound to develop into a psychologically devastated individual.