“The Legacy” by Virginia Woolf & “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’ Connor
Answer the following questions thoroughly. Each response should be at least one paragraph and be supported by passages from the story
“The Legacy” by Virginia Woolf
- Gilbert Clandon was apparently blind to his wife’s unhappiness and subsequent affair. Why was he so oblivious to what was happening to his marriage? How could you interpret this from the lens of feminist criticism?
- In what ways does Gilbert Clandon enjoy entitlement and privilege? How did much of this come at the expense of his wife Angela? What is his “legacy”?
- Despite her physical absence in the story, we are privy to much of Angela’s thoughts and feelings about her life and marriage. How was her marriage a result of prevalent patriarchal norms reflected in the novel? Why did Angela feel so deeply unhappy with her life?
- How might one view Angela’s suicide after her lover B.M.’s death from a critical feminist perspective?
A good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’ Connor
- Flannery O’ Connor was a devout Catholic. What parts of the story suggest this?
- How would you characterize the grandmother in the story? What about the rest of her family? Are they a typical American family? Why or why not?
- What would you say the theme of the story is? Provide textual evidence to support this.
- In Christian theology, Satan refuses to submit to God’s divine order and rebels; consequently he becomes the eternal “Adversary” or “Enemy”. Could the Misfit represent the devil in the story? Why or why not? Once again, make sure you provide textual evidence to support your claims.
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