Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood - Social Context and Literary Analysis - Lecture 2

Explore the second lecture on Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood in this 45-minute video from Yale University's "The American Novel Since 1945" course. Delve into the southern social context, focusing on race and gender, and examine the influence of New Criticism on O'Connor's writing. Analyze the depiction of women, various modes of violence, and the narrative purpose of violent imagery. Investigate the theological structure through a close reading of Chapter Seven. Discover the connection between the New Critics' institutionalization of formal unity and their religious influences. Gain insights into O'Connor's literary techniques and the broader context of post-war American literature.

Syllabus

- Chapter 1. On the Depiction of Women: Fragmented Bodies and Southern Society
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- Chapter 2. Modes of Violence: Abused Children, Police Brutality, and Racism
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- Chapter 3. Exploring the Narrative Purpose of Violent Imagery: The Question of Sympathy
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- Chapter 4. Returning to a Theological Structure: A Close Reading of Chapter Seven
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- Chapter 5. New Criticism and the Institutionalization of Modernism
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