The True Country: Themes in the Fiction of Flannery O'Connor

Martin's THE TRUE COUNTRY:THEMES IN THE FICTION OF FLANNERY O'CONNOR is a first tier evaluation of the themes of the great Southern writer. Particularly enlightening is Martin's analysis of the characters of WISE BLOOD. Enoch Emery is the neo-pagan embodiment who ends up in bestiality, lonliness, and spiritual bankruptcy. Sabbath Lily Hawks and Leora Watts are straight-up heathen who feel no guilt at all in corrupting others. Asa Hawks models cynicism and hypocrisy, while Hoover Shoates's sweet preaching undoes Motes reverse morality. Martin's overall conclusion is that O'Connor writes from an orthodox Christian point of view but grinds no theological ax. I think he is right.

When I was researching my thesis at Vanderbilt on O'Connor, Thomas Daniel Young, my advisor, recommended this book as the best book on O'Connor, and I can think of no better authority than Dr. Young. It was invaluable to my understanding of her work.