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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. Which character in fiction is usually disturbing to the reader?

2. Who does O'Connor say South Boston belongs to?

3. What is it generally supposed that Catholic writers use their fiction to do?

4. What book does O'Connor say is not well written but the author should not be judged by his intent?

5. Who said if you want to write stories not to drive the poor from your doorstep?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does O'Connor feel about literature being taught by way of psychology?

2. What does O'Connor say should be the result of the proper study of literature?

3. Describe the God that O'Connor says she believes in.

4. What does O'Connor say about "The Foundling" written by Cardinal Spellman?

5. Why is the fiction writer vulnerable to public criticism?

6. Why does O'Connor write powerfully, especially about God?

7. What story does O'Connor tell at the beginning of "Catholic Novelists and Their Readers"?

8. Why does O'Connor suspect that readers like it when the devil appears in fiction?

9. How does O'Connor feel about bestseller lists?

10. Why does O'Connor say the Protestant South is a good place for Catholic writers to write?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the perspective used in this nonfiction work. How would O'Connor's lessons on writing be different if they were written from a third-person perspective, like they would be in a textbook? What could the reader gain from a less personal perspective? What is gained from the first-person perspective that O'Connor uses instead?

Essay Topic 2

Explore the use of Mary Ann as a representation for grotesque-style literature. How does the story of Mary Ann help O'Connor to gain new perspective on the topic of the grotesque? How does she start to think differently about the way people see "good" in things? Why does she say that it is easier to see evil than it is to see good? How does this relate to Mary Ann? How does it relate to the grotesque?

Essay Topic 3

Look at O'Connor's feelings toward aspiring writers. What does O'Connor feel most aspiring writers are interested in? What does she mean when she says aspiring writers are interested in "being a writer"? What should the serious writer be interested in? Why do you think she makes a point to stress these ideas to a writing class? Why does it frustrate the author to have to explain writing?

(see the answer keys)

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