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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many peafowl did O'Connor buy from an ad in a paper?

2. For what work did O'Connor receive the Georgia Writers' Association Scroll?

3. What did the photographer come to O'Connor's home to film?

4. What did O'Connor tell a classroom that there was no such thing as?

5. What does O'Connor says causes Southerners anguish?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does O'Connor say about those who have the gift for writing?

2. Why does O'Connor believe that Christian writers will best be able to discern the grotesque?

3. What does O'Connor say about the Manicheans in "The Nature and Aim of Fiction"?

4. In what ways did the peafowl wreck the O'Connor farm?

5. Why did the man who sold fence posts get rid of his peafowl?

6. How does having lost the Civil War make Southerners better writers, according to O'Connor?

7. What does O'Connor say about reality in fiction writing?

8. How did the peacock react when a telephone repairman tried to get him to strut?

9. Why does O'Connor advise that if an author is called a Southern writer he is best to rid himself of the title as soon as possible?

10. How did the peafowl feel about O'Connor after nine years?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does O'Connor mean when she says it is the business of fiction to embody mystery and manners? What does she mean when she talks of manners? Of mystery? How does a writer figure out what their mystery and manners are? How does O'Connor find her mystery and manners? How do mystery and manners work together to create interesting fiction? How does regionalism tie into mystery and manners?

Essay Topic 2

What does O'Connor say about being labeled a Southern writer? Does she feel that it is beneficial to wear this label? What problems does she run into because she is labeled a Southern writer? Based on her tone, how does she seem to feel about how those writing in the South are perceived to always be writing about the South?

Essay Topic 3

How does O'Connor say she must write, as both a Catholic and a novelist? What does she say her is her responsibility? Why is she so passionate about her obligations? Why is it so important to her to meet the obligations she has set for herself? What can be learned about O'Connor as a fiction writer by looking at the ways in which she defines herself? Why do you think she makes it a point to say that she must protect her reality? What does this mean for her and her reader?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 823 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample