The Other in Wise Blood
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
English Literature
Minor
Information Studies
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr Ray Horton
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
The purpose of this presentation is to explore the role of the “other” in Flannery O’Connor’s novel Wise Blood. The “other” in this context refers to an individual (or a group of individuals), who is regarded by the larger group as different and is therefore ostracized. This will be achieved primarily through a study of three central characters to the novel: Hazel Motes, Enoch Emory, and Asa Hawks. These characters will be analyzed on two fronts, how the character perceives societal “others” and how the character is perceived by the reader to be an “other.” In the case of Haze the murder of the “other prophet” will be discussed, along with the ways in which he isolates himself from society. Enoch’s attitude towards animals will be studied, along with his fascination with the new jesus and his eventual transformation. Asa Hawks is a character of interest in this topic due to his false blindness, which seems to make him an “other,” and the implications of the false “other” will be explored. The characters’ attitudes towards race and class will also be discussed. This question of the “other” in this novel is important to the scholarship of today because it explores the complex perception of societal “others” on an individual level as opposed to a communal level. This presentation also hopes to discover how the characters who are “others” perceive themselves. This analysis takes steps towards understanding the authorial and societal dispositions toward the “other” at the time of the novel’s publishing, and challenges the reader in regards to the perception of “others” in modern times.
Spring Scholars Week 2019 Event
Other
Other Scholars Week Event
Literature Panel
The Other in Wise Blood
The purpose of this presentation is to explore the role of the “other” in Flannery O’Connor’s novel Wise Blood. The “other” in this context refers to an individual (or a group of individuals), who is regarded by the larger group as different and is therefore ostracized. This will be achieved primarily through a study of three central characters to the novel: Hazel Motes, Enoch Emory, and Asa Hawks. These characters will be analyzed on two fronts, how the character perceives societal “others” and how the character is perceived by the reader to be an “other.” In the case of Haze the murder of the “other prophet” will be discussed, along with the ways in which he isolates himself from society. Enoch’s attitude towards animals will be studied, along with his fascination with the new jesus and his eventual transformation. Asa Hawks is a character of interest in this topic due to his false blindness, which seems to make him an “other,” and the implications of the false “other” will be explored. The characters’ attitudes towards race and class will also be discussed. This question of the “other” in this novel is important to the scholarship of today because it explores the complex perception of societal “others” on an individual level as opposed to a communal level. This presentation also hopes to discover how the characters who are “others” perceive themselves. This analysis takes steps towards understanding the authorial and societal dispositions toward the “other” at the time of the novel’s publishing, and challenges the reader in regards to the perception of “others” in modern times.