In a globe of pious pretenders and religious hippocracy, Flannery O'Connor introduces us to a host of bizarre characters who not only compel us to take a second appear about us, but as well force us to appear deeper into ourselves. O'Connor's use of humor in religion is absolutely acceptable mainly because the hypocrisy which exists in a society exactly where zealots run rampant devoid of a leash is a comedy in its personal suitable. With the use of distortion and exaggeration, O'Connor brings to light the ridiculousness of self-righteous fanatics who are all also prevalent.
The characters we meet in O'Connor's stories are the literary equivalent of the exaggerated caricatures in political cartoons. Look at the bizarre response of the young children in "A Fantastic Man is Really hard to Come across" immediately after obtaining been involved in a car accident: "'We've had an accident!' the kids screamed in a frenzy of delight. 'But nobody's killed', June Star mentioned with disappointment...". The goal of a political cartoon is to get consideration and to make us laugh, and to have the side impact of generating us assume around a really serious challenge. O'Connor's use of distortion and humor is made for the similar objective.
On the other hand bizarre, O'Connor's operate commonly introduces us to an individual whom we know in our personal life. How quite a few of us know (or are connected to) a judgemental soul including Mrs. Turpin in "Revelation": "From time to time Mrs. Turpin occupied herself at evening naming the classes of persons. On the bottom of the heap have been most colored folks... subsequent to them -- not above, just away from -- had been the white trash...". The sad issue is that those poor souls, such as Mrs. Turpin, assume entirely justified and at ease in their pondering. Mrs. Turpin's "revelation" happens in a pig parlor which brings a significant concern to a comical setting. It drives residence the point that we are living in a farcical comedy of pious pretenders.
For these who would deem the mixture of humor and religion inappropriate, Contemplate the reality that we want appear no additional that our personal religiosity to Locate a wealth of sidesplitting guffaws. The televangelists who pollute our airwaves provide us with a plethora of material: Jimmy Swaggart and his feigned tears of regret; the million-dollar death threat from God to Oral Roberts; the Jim Bakker fiasco; Robert Tilton's animated pleas for "vows of faith", and Ernest Angley (the symbolism of this name is comical sufficient). But it does not quit there. New religious sects and divisions are multiplying quicker than bunnies. There are a lot more Protestant divisions than there are calories in a gallon of Haagen Daas, and the doctrine of the Catholic church is directed so poorly that the Pope's name may well also be Ed Wood. So we see that absolutely nothing, such as religion, is above ridiculousness and, as a result, is not above poking enjoyable at.
So, from the ultra-conservatism of Pat Robertson to the liberal "tree-hugging" pagans, how can comedy not be suitable in such a diverse religious culture? O'Connor realizes that it is not the quiet small old lady in church who captures our interest. It is the wild and outrageous that causes our jaws to drop and take notice. This is the element that she brings to her characters and her function. Comedy in religion is all about us but some of us will pick to see only what is hassle-free or proper to our belief systems. It is comical the way that fundamentalists decide on to ignore proof in favor of clinging to the dogma of what they want to be accurate. O'Connor's characters strip away the blinders and force us, via the use of humor, to take a close appear at these about us, and a deep appear into ourselves.
Rick Huffman is a National lengthy-haul driver who spent 20 years in the broadcasting business prior to becoming a trucker. He describes the profession modify as, "...the greatest choice I ever designed on one day, and the worst one I ever developed on the subsequent."
rickhu45@yahoo.com
http://lifeofanamericantrucker.blogspot.com
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