Summary

Widely acclaimed as one of the finest short-story writers and known for her acerbic wit, complex themes, and illuminating portrayal of the American South, Flannery O’Connor is a favorite among students, scholars, and general readers. Known for her stories "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" and "Everything that Rises Must Converge," O’Connor’s work often appears on class syllabi and in college courses today.

Critical Companion to Flannery O’Connor examines her life and works, and includes critical analyses of some of the themes in her writing, as well as entries on related topics and relevant people, places, and influences.

Coverage includes:

• A concise but comprehensive biography of O'Connor
• Entries on O'Connor’s works, including major entries on her stories and two novels, as well as entries on her essays. Characters in her fiction are included as subentries, and a special section is devoted to extensive coverage of her magnificent letters, which were collected in the award-winning volume The Habit of Being
• Entries on related friends and literary influences, places, themes, special topics, and more
• Appendixes, including a chronology, a bibliography of O'Connor's works, and a secondary source bibliography.

Specifications

Black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Index. Appendixes. Bibliographies. Cross-references. Chronology.

About the Author(s)

Connie Ann Kirk holds a Ph.D. in English from Binghamton University. She currently teaches literature at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. She is the author of many books, including A Student's Guide to Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson: A Biography.