Flannery O'Connor has a unique perspective on life that flows into the writings she produces. One of her key values is writing through the lens of being Catholic. She once stated, "The problem of the novelist who wishes to write about a man's encounter with this God is how he shall make the experience - which is both natural and supernatural - understandable, and credible, to his reader" (O'Connor 565). In the story "Parkers Back," Flannery O'Conner communicates a message of searching for purpose and finding redemption and grace. All throughout the story, readers follow O.E. Parker's journey towards finding meaning for his life. O'Connor uses symbolism, biblical allusion, and the theme of redemption to communicate how one can find a deeper meaning for their life.
O’Connor’s life experiences truly shape how she writes. …show more content…
“She states that the most important influences in her life were probably "being a Catholic and a Southerner and a writer"” (qtd. in Baker). At a young age, she was diagnosed with lupus erythematosus, which left her incapacitated and eventually lead to her death at the age of 39 (Baker). Before her passing, Flannery O’Connor accomplished quite a lot. She graduated from Georgia State College and attended a prestigious writers workshop at University of Iowa where she received her M.F.A. degree (Epperson and Hall 563). Because of O’Connor’s unique life experiences, she is able to communicate in a distinct way through her writings; this can especially be seen in her story “Parkers Back”. At the beginning of "Parker's Back" the character, O'Connor writes about O.E Parker. He is infatuated with tattoos from a young age and in them, he finds his meaning. "Parker would be satisfied with each tattoo about a month, then something about it that had attracted him would wear off" (O'Connor 573). O'Connor then reveals