O'Connor's novel Wise Blood, published in 1952, deals with religious themes, as does much of her work. The plot revolves around the character of Hazel Motes, a man obsessed with Jesus in ways that the Misfit is. Hazel becomes a preacher for the Church Without Christ. Like "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," Wise Blood demonstrates O'Connor's vision of what happens to people who try to live their lives without any kind of spiritual presence.

No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger, by Mark Twain deals with religion in a humorous way.

A Curtain of Green, a collection of stories by Southern writer Eudora Welty. Also characterized as a "Southern Gothic" writer, Welty's fiction often deals with brutal themes as well.

Carson McCullers has helped to define Southern fiction. A Member of the Wedding, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, and The Heart...