Southern Gothic Fiction. William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor
1. Primary Reading: William Faulkner–intro (952, older edition: 948) and “A Rose for Emily.Preview the document”
2. Primary Reading: Flannery O’Connor–intro (1338, older edition: 1301) and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (1340, older edition: 1303)–alternate version: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/goodman.html (Links to an external site.) (Note that book title is provided at top of document, and page numbers are available.
3. Primary Reading: The linked Faulkner interview in which he talks about “A Rose.”
4. Primary Reading: Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech (link (Links to an external site.)).
5. Primary Reading: The excerpt from O’Connor’s essay in which she talks about “A Good Man.”
6. Secondary Readings: For this and all lessons, read the introductory essays on all assigned writers. Note that the author’s name appears at the end of the essay.
7. Critical Secondary Reading: You are also required to use one original professional research source from EBSCO. As always, that source should be used to provide real insight into the authors and/or texts in question; you should NOT simply use the first source you find and drop a context-free quote into your assignment, expecting that to be sufficient.
Writing assignment (REMINDER: Page lengths listed below are MINIMUMS)
1. Write about the epiphany experienced by the reader at the end of “A Rose for Emily.” Explain what detail from the story prompts the reader’s epiphany and what the new insight is. Then explain how the reader’s newfound understanding clears up at least five points of confusion in the story. (3/4 page)
2. Explain Faulkner’s view on “the human in heart in conflict with itself” (Nobel speech) and his comments on the conflict in “A Rose for Emily” (interview). (1/2 page)
3. Take a look at the excerpt from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms (in “Nada” essay that we studied in Lesson 3), and explain the philosophical point of difference between Hemingway (his comments on “abstractions”) and Faulkner (his comments on “verities”). (1/4 page)
4. Write an analysis of the conflict and resolution of conflict in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” What kind of statement about life is made in the murder of the main character? (3/4 page)
5. Use O’Connor’s essay to explain her view of the grandmother’s epiphany, the “moment of grace,” The Misfit’s future, and the story’s purpose. Then give your interpretation of the story and its theme. (3/4 page)
