-
Flannery O’Connor was born in 1925 and died at the young age of 39. She was born, and died in, Georgia. Most of her stories are set in the South and involve individuals’ relationships with God. She was raised Roman Catholic and passed away from a decade long battle with lupus. One can quickly pick up on her grim outlook on life and humanity while reading through her works.
Here are a few questions for discussion after you read:
After reading the first couple of sentences, what is your original gut feeling about this story?
Do you think Mrs. Connin really wanted to help Harry or was she just swept up in the sensationalism of the river preaching?
Do you think Mr. Paradise had good intentions when he followed Harry to the river? Does Mr. Paradise represent a deeper meaning in the story or was he simply another odd character?
What did you think of Harry’s naivety in taking the preacher’s words so literally?