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March 20, 2006

Temple of the Holy Ghost

O'Connor, '''A Temple of the Holy Ghost'' -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)

"I've seen them around is all, " she said. (85).

This line comes from the child after susan and joanne question how well she knows wendell and cory. In the child's mind she says to herself (the entire paragraph before this line) that they had fought in the world war together and she saved them 5 times from japanese suicide bombers...I enjoyed this entire story but I really dont understand why a little girl would think this? Was she being sly and trying to think about how much more intelligent she was than the two girls or was it all her great imagination? Then why doesnt she share it with the two girls...possibly because they would think her remarks were childish because they obviously are not true.

"It spit them out of its mouth," she said, "Six of them."

This little girl is smart and sly but I also like how O'Connor shows that she does not know everything unlike how her character acts. The child acts so grown up and she tricks the girls into telling her about the fair freak which is sly but when she has to dish out her story you see that even though she has not seen a rabbit give birth, she does not know how it happens either. Obviously neither do twiddle de and twiddle dum because they except her answer. This little part was comical!

Posted by TerraStumpf at March 20, 2006 12:45 PM

Comments

Terra,
I loved this story and thought that it was so funny. I also like the part of the rabbit and how "the Girl" said that they were conceived. The girl does act very intelligent for her age and she does know alot. I also thought that it was unique that she talked about her faults. For a child to say hey look here are my flaws and I know what they are. She also comes off as a spoiled brat at times. However that could just be her age. I thought this was one of the better stories.

Posted by: LisaRandolph at March 21, 2006 09:27 PM

I think possible that the child new the boys alot better than she had told. I think that she did not want to tell them this because she did not want to be questioned. Even though she felt smart and superior, the fact that they were older was still in the child's head. See, I also think it was come sort of game she was referring to when she said the war. I believe that the boy probably did say he would marry her.


Posted by: OnileeSmith at March 22, 2006 03:58 PM

I'm glad that you found a bunch of comical elements in this. I can't say that I was really looking for that, so I will go back and see if I can catch some myself. The main piece of humor that I found was whenever they were discussing why they call each other Temple One and Temple Two. At the same time, I really find myself wondering, "What is O' Connor trying to teach us in this tale about relgion?" She seemed to have just headed in the opposite direction from her other stories, and I am just finding myself more confused than anything else.

Posted by: Jason Pugh at March 23, 2006 10:39 AM

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