Hawthorne & O’Connor’s Spiritual Views Nathaniel Hawthorne and Flannery O’Connor incorporated a distinct style of writing in their short stories by focusing on evil, the good the bad, and religion. However, both authors took a different approach as to how they would illustrate these topics to their readers. The approaches taken were in some aspects challenging, yet effective and thought provoking. Despite Hawthorne’s Puritan background, his writings primarily focused on human nature and the darker side of life. In contrast, O’Conner religious views were disparate than Hawthorne’s. Likewise, both authors were effective by igniting discrete views and opinions from their readers. Hawthorne’s The Birthmark explores the …show more content…
In A Good Man Is Hard to Find, the grandmother, her son Baily, and his family take a vacation to Florida. However, the grandmother is opposed to vacationing in Florida and unsuccessfully tries to convince Baily, to take the family to east Tennessee. Grandmother actively tries to persuade Baily by showing him an article of a loose fugitive by the name of The Misfit traveling towards Florida. This introduction introduces O’Connor’s readers to the stories title “A Good Man.” R. Neil Scott states, Unlike Hawthorne, O’Connor does not depict evil in this story however; she does label the term “good” and what it means in this sense (50). Although this may be true, there lies a contrast between Scott’s statement surrounding good and evil and O’Conner’s depiction of the evil fugitive, The …show more content…
Red Sam and grandmother believe good men are no longer around and they only existed back in the day when people could be trusted. O’Connor chose to elaborate on this subject by illustrating to her reader’s that good no longer exists. The author states, “The old lady said that in her opinion Europe was entirely to blame for the way things were now” (359). In addition, O’Connor expands her thoughts on good people and how this can be intercede through prayer and God’s grace. In contrast, O’Connor’s spiritual beliefs lie in the Heavenly Father whether than Hawthorne’s beliefs in humanity and Nature. Unfortunately, the family has a car accident that leads them to be greeted by The Misfit and two of his friends. After the greeting, O’Connor illustrates a dialogue between the grandmother and The