The Other in Wise Blood

Presenter Information

Chloe GranberryFollow

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

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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.