Subsequently, he has "forgotten" what he has done wrong, yet feels the weight of some indefinable oringinal sin.Desmond, ''Flannery O'Connor's Misfit and the Mystery of Evil.'' -- Jerz: EL150 (Intro to Literary Study)
O'Connor depicts the original sin of all mankind through that of the Misfit. Through his certainty that he has committed some original sin, she asserts the fact that everyone has original sin, whether they are Catholic or not. The fact that the Misfit cannot remember exactly what his original sin was simply strengthens this assertion by making the sin undefined and thus more universally applicable to all mankind. Through the Misfit's experience, she asserts that no man can escape his original sin, or sinning nature; however, at the same time, O'Connor does not expect the human race to be perfect. She simply expects people to recognize their own sinful nature that they were born with, and further expects them to actively try to prevent as many sins as possible.
Comments (2)
I agree with you. I think that O'Connor is stating that humans need to realize what sins they cause and how to prevent them. It is important to know the sin and not be like the Misfit who didn't understand where he went wrong. As you stated, it seems as though the sin is universal because the Misfit cannot remember the exact sin. When you think of the Misfit as Satan then you can see how all sin is through the Misfit. It is interesting to think of it this way because it states how bad and sinful the Misfit is. On the other hand, O'Connor is trying to look the other way and say that everyone should try to not sin, but know when they do.
Posted by Derek Tickle | March 27, 2007 9:08 PM
Posted on March 27, 2007 21:08
I really like the idea that you bring up about the Misfit's crime is not defined in order to make it apply universally to all people. I really think you have something there. I mean, if it O'Connor was to define exactly what the Misfit originally did, she would run the risk of having even just one reader saying "well I would never do anything like that!" or "I have never done anything like that" but no one can say that they have never done anything wrong. Great observation!
Posted by Lorin | March 28, 2007 1:16 AM
Posted on March 28, 2007 01:16