Mary Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries.
Archivist's Choice
The violent bear it away
Flannery O'Connor (2022)
Genre
Literary Fiction / Spirituality
Reading Time
12 Minutes
Key Themes
See below
Track Your Reading
Sign in to track this book
Synopsis
Francis Marion Tarwater, a recently orphaned teenager, finds himself torn between the legacy of his deceased great-uncle, a self-proclaimed prophet who raised him in isolation with a strict, fundamentalist view of Christianity, and the secular, intellectual world represented by his equally estranged uncle, Rayber. Tarwater struggles to reconcile his ingrained sense of religious destiny, particularly the prophetic calling to baptize his intellectually disabled cousin, with his growing desire for independence and a life free from the burdens of faith. His journey is a violent and often darkly humorous odyssey through the rural South, marked by internal conflict, encounters with eccentric characters, and a desperate search for meaning that ultimately forces him to confront the inescapable nature of his spiritual inheritance.
The novel delves into themes of free will versus predestination, the nature of religious conviction, and the struggle against a perceived divine calling. Tarwater's attempts to evade his prophetic destiny lead him down paths of rebellion and denial, but each attempt only serves to reinforce the powerful, almost violent, pull of his spiritual heritage. The narrative culminates in a confrontation with both his past and his future, leaving him to embrace, or be consumed by, the very calling he sought to escape.
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Intense, philosophical, unsettling, darkly humorous, thought-provoking
Plot Summary
The Old Man's Demise
The novel opens with the death of Mason Tarwater, a self-proclaimed prophet who raised his great-nephew, Francis Marion Tarwater, in isolation, following his own fundamentalist beliefs. Mason's last wish is for Tarwater to bury him properly and then become a prophet, continuing the family's 'calling.' Tarwater has a difficult relationship with his great-uncle's teachings and at first resists this command. He feels torn between his spiritual upbringing and a desire for a more ordinary, secular life. The old man's body lies in the house, and Tarwater's immediate concern is how to get rid of it, a task made harder by his inner conflict and limited knowledge of the outside world.
The Unholy Burial
Instead of burying Mason, Tarwater, in an act of defiance and a desperate attempt to break free from his great-uncle's influence, sets the house on fire with the body inside. This act shows his rejection of the prophetic role and his wish to escape the future his great-uncle planned for him. He thinks that by destroying the body, he can destroy the spiritual obligation. After this, Tarwater feels a strange mix of freedom and guilt. He then leaves the isolated farm, going into the unfamiliar world he only knew from Mason's often critical sermons.
Encountering Rayber
Tarwater's journey leads him to the city, where he finds his other great-uncle, George Rayber, a schoolteacher. Rayber represents the secular, intellectual world that Mason Tarwater strongly opposed. Rayber, a rationalist and former seminarian, is interested in Tarwater, seeing him as a psychological study—a result of extreme religious training. Rayber hopes to 'cure' Tarwater of his religious fervor and help him fit into modern society. He lives with his mentally disabled son, Bishop, who fascinates Tarwater with his innocence and simple way of life.
The Baptismal Obsession
During his stay with Rayber, Tarwater feels a constant, unbidden urge to baptize Bishop. This compulsion echoes Mason's teachings and his own unfulfilled prophetic destiny. Rayber, aware of Tarwater's religious background, tries to stop any such act, fearing it would strengthen Tarwater's 'delusions.' He sees baptism as a primitive superstition and wants to protect Bishop from it. Tarwater's inner struggle grows, torn between his desire to reject his past and the strong pull of his spiritual heritage, represented by Bishop's innocence.
Rayber's Manipulation
Rayber, wanting to understand and control Tarwater's religious impulses, watches him closely, taking notes and trying to find a scientific explanation for his beliefs. He sees Tarwater's spiritual struggles as a psychological problem to be fixed with reason and modern education. Rayber introduces Tarwater to secular life, hoping to distract him from his religious fixations. However, Rayber's attempts to intellectualize faith only show the deep difference between their views, ultimately strengthening Tarwater's resistance to pure rationality.
The Escape and the Call
Feeling overwhelmed by Rayber's constant observation and the sterile city environment, Tarwater eventually runs away. He is still bothered by his great-uncle's 'voice,' urging him to fulfill his prophetic calling, especially concerning Bishop. His flight is not an escape from faith, but an escape from Rayber's attempts to explain it away. Tarwater's journey becomes a wandering, a search for a place where he can resolve his inner conflict, or perhaps finally give in to the destiny that seems to follow him. The wilderness, like his childhood home, offers a temporary refuge.
The Drowning of Bishop
In a moment of spiritual crisis and confusion, Tarwater takes Bishop to a lake. He tries to baptize him, but the act is violent and unclear. Whether it is an accident or a deliberate act driven by a twisted understanding of salvation, Bishop drowns. This event is the peak of Tarwater's inner battle, a violent sign of his struggle with his calling. It is an act that both fulfills and twists his great-uncle's command, leaving Tarwater with immense guilt and further increasing his isolation.
The Roadside Encounter
After the drowning, Tarwater is in shock and despair. A seemingly kind stranger in a lavender and cream-colored car picks him up. This meeting is a turning point, as the stranger, later shown to be a predator, represents the hidden evil of the secular world, a world without a moral guide. The stranger offers Tarwater alcohol and a false sense of friendship, preying on his vulnerability and confusion. This interaction further isolates Tarwater and exposes him to a different kind of corruption than he experienced with Rayber.
The Assault
The stranger takes Tarwater to a secluded spot and sexually assaults him. This brutal violation strips Tarwater of his last bit of innocence and deepens his feeling of defilement. It is a moment of deep degradation that pushes Tarwater to his psychological and spiritual limits. The assault symbolizes the ultimate spiritual violence of a world that rejects God, leaving people vulnerable to exploitation and despair. This trauma affects Tarwater deeply, sharpening his awareness of evil and intensifying his inner struggle.
The Burning Bush
After the assault, Tarwater is left alone, broken and angry. He then sees a burning bush, a clear biblical reference to Moses's encounter with God. This vision, however, is not one of peaceful revelation but of violent, undeniable truth. It is a moment of intense spiritual clarity where Tarwater finally accepts his prophetic calling, not as a gentle invitation, but as an overwhelming, inescapable force. He realizes that his attempts to escape his destiny have only led him to greater suffering and that grace often comes through struggle and suffering.
The Return to the Farm
Driven by his new, strong conviction, Tarwater goes back to the burned-out farm where he grew up. The ruins remind him of his past defiance and the legacy he tried to escape. He finds the remains of his great-uncle's house, a symbol of his spiritual heritage. This return shows not a step backward, but a full circle, an acceptance of his roots and the calling that started there. He is no longer running, but embracing the path before him, however difficult and violent it may be.
The Prophetic Vision
At the burned-out farm, Tarwater has a final, powerful vision. He sees a host of the just, taking the Kingdom of Heaven by force, and he recognizes his place among them. He understands that his life is not his own, but dedicated to God's will, a will that often appears through harshness and suffering. With this realization, Tarwater fully accepts his prophetic role. He is now ready to preach the violent truth, to bear witness to a reality others may reject, embodying the novel's central idea that the Kingdom of Heaven must be seized with strong conviction.
Principal Figures
Francis Marion Tarwater
The Protagonist
Tarwater begins as a defiant youth trying to escape his great-uncle's prophetic legacy but ultimately succumbs to and embraces his calling, though in a violent and unconventional manner.
Mason Tarwater
The Supporting
Though deceased at the novel's opening, Mason's influence guides Tarwater's entire journey, ultimately leading to the fulfillment of his prophetic legacy.
George Rayber
The Antagonist
Rayber attempts to scientifically analyze and control Tarwater's faith, but ultimately fails, inadvertently pushing Tarwater further into his spiritual destiny.
Bishop
The Supporting
Bishop's innocence and vulnerability serve as a catalyst for Tarwater's internal conflict regarding baptism, ultimately leading to his tragic death and Tarwater's spiritual transformation.
The Stranger
The Antagonist
The Stranger's brief but brutal interaction with Tarwater serves as a final, traumatic catalyst, pushing Tarwater towards his ultimate spiritual reckoning.
The Old Woman
The Supporting
Her brief appearance emphasizes Tarwater's initial isolation and rejection of conventional human connection.
Buford Munson
The Supporting
Buford's steady presence highlights Tarwater's volatile spiritual journey, serving as a quiet witness to the unfolding events.
Themes & Insights
The Violence of Grace
This theme suggests that spiritual truth and salvation are not always gentle, but often come through harshness, suffering, and radical change. The novel's title, 'The Violent Bear It Away,' directly refers to Matthew 11:12, implying that the Kingdom of Heaven must be taken with strong conviction. Tarwater's journey includes literal and metaphorical violence—the burning of his great-uncle's body, Bishop's drowning, the sexual assault, and his own internal struggles. These violent acts, rather than canceling grace, become the very way Tarwater accepts his prophetic calling. Grace is not passively received but actively taken or inflicted.
“The old man had been trying to drive him into the territory of the Lord for seventeen years and had never once failed to fail. He had never once failed to fail because he had never once been successful. He had never once been successful because the Lord was not in the territory of the old man.”
Faith vs. Reason
The novel contrasts the intuitive, often irrational nature of faith with the cold, analytical approach of reason. Mason Tarwater shows unyielding, fundamentalist faith, while George Rayber represents secular humanism and scientific inquiry. Francis Tarwater is caught between these two, trying to reconcile his spiritual impulses with Rayber's attempts to intellectualize belief. O'Connor critiques the limits of pure reason to understand spiritual truths, showing how Rayber's efforts to 'cure' Tarwater only strengthen the boy's conviction. The novel suggests that faith works on a different level, one that cannot be fully understood or dismissed by scientific methods.
“He didn't want to be a prophet; he wanted to be an ordinary man. He wanted to go to the city and get a job and be like everybody else. He wanted to escape the voice of the old man.”
The Burden of Prophecy and Calling
Tarwater's life is defined by the prophetic calling his great-uncle gave him. This theme explores the inescapable nature of a divine vocation and its heavy responsibility. Tarwater spends most of the novel trying to escape this destiny, seeing it as a burden. His resistance leads to suffering and violent acts, suggesting that denying one's calling can have destructive results. Ultimately, he understands that the prophetic role is not a choice but a command, a divinely given path that must be embraced, even if it means sacrificing personal desires and enduring great hardship. It is a calling that demands everything.
“He was being called to be a prophet and he was going to be a prophet whether he wanted to or not. He was going to be a prophet even if he had to be dragged to it with a rope.”
Innocence and Corruption
The novel explores how innocence is vulnerable in a fallen world and the corruption it faces. Bishop, with his mental disability, represents pure innocence. He becomes a focus for both spiritual longing (Tarwater's desire to baptize him) and the tragic results of a world struggling with faith. The sexual assault on Tarwater by the stranger is a brutal act of corruption that defiles his physical and spiritual innocence. These events highlight how innocence, whether spiritual or physical, is often exposed to the harsh realities and destructive forces of human sin and a world that has lost its moral guide, making salvation a more urgent and violent need.
“He had been marked by a prophet and he would be a prophet. He had been marked by a prophet and there was no escape.”
Sacrifice and Redemption
Sacrifice, both chosen and unchosen, is linked to the possibility of redemption. Tarwater's journey involves a series of sacrifices: the burning of his great-uncle's body, Bishop's drowning, and his own physical and spiritual suffering. These acts, though often violent and morally unclear, are presented as necessary steps towards his spiritual awakening and acceptance of his calling. The novel suggests that true redemption often requires a deep letting go, a violent stripping away of self and worldly desires, to open oneself to divine grace. The suffering endured becomes a test for spiritual transformation, leading to a deeper, though painful, understanding of faith.
“He saw the host of the just, their faces like the sun, their eyes like fire, and their voices like the sound of many waters, and they were bearing it away, the Kingdom of Heaven, by violence.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
Biblical Allusion
References to biblical stories and concepts.
O'Connor extensively uses biblical allusions to deepen the novel's spiritual themes and contextualize Tarwater's journey within a larger theological framework. The most prominent is the novel's title, 'The violent bear it away' (Matthew 11:12), which sets the tone for the harsh nature of grace. Other allusions include the 'burning bush' vision (Exodus 3:2), which signifies Tarwater's calling, and the repeated emphasis on baptism, drawing from New Testament themes of salvation and rebirth. These allusions are not merely decorative but integral to understanding the characters' motivations and the profound spiritual stakes of the narrative, often subverting conventional interpretations of these sacred texts.
Symbolism of Water and Fire
Elements representing purification, destruction, and spiritual transformation.
Water and fire are recurring symbols throughout the novel, often carrying dual meanings of destruction and purification. Fire first appears as Tarwater's act of defiance, burning his great-uncle's body and house, symbolizing his rejection of his past. Later, the vision of the 'burning bush' transforms fire into a symbol of divine calling and violent revelation. Water, primarily through the repeated attempts and eventual act of baptism, represents both spiritual cleansing and, tragically, death. These elements highlight the violent and often contradictory nature of spiritual experience in O'Connor's world, where grace can be both destructive and transformative.
The 'Voice' of the Old Man
Internalized influence of Mason Tarwater's teachings.
Even after Mason Tarwater's death, his 'voice' continues to plague Francis, representing the internalized spiritual authority and the inescapable nature of his calling. This 'voice' is not necessarily supernatural but rather a powerful manifestation of Tarwater's conscience and the deep imprint of his upbringing. It constantly reminds him of his obligations, particularly the need to baptize Bishop. This device underscores the psychological and spiritual grip of fundamentalist faith and the difficulty of escaping one's spiritual heritage, even when actively trying to rebel against it. It serves as a constant reminder of the unseen forces at play.
Grotesque Realism
Exaggerated or distorted physical and psychological traits.
O'Connor employs grotesque realism to portray characters and situations that are physically or psychologically exaggerated, often to highlight spiritual truths. Characters like the fanatical Mason Tarwater, the intellectually sterile Rayber, and the innocent, mentally disabled Bishop are all presented with distinct, often unsettling, features. This device serves to strip away surface pleasantries and expose the raw, often uncomfortable, realities of human nature and spiritual struggle. The grotesque elements compel the reader to look beyond conventional appearances and confront the deeper, often violent, spiritual dimensions of the narrative, emphasizing the distorted nature of a world without grace.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
Quiz
Test Your Knowledge
Ready to see how well you understood this book? Take our interactive quiz with 10 questions.
10
Questions
~5
Minutes
?
Best Score
Key Questions (FAQ)
The novel follows young Tarwater, who is sent by his grandfather to live with his uncle, Rayber, a psychologist. Tarwater believes he has a divine mission to baptize his nephew, who he sees as a symbol of secularism and sin.
About the author
Similar books
The Power of a Praying Wife
Stormie Omartian
4.3
The Prophetic Imagination
Walter Brueggemann
4.3
The Pursuit of Holiness
Jerry Bridges
4.3
The Practice of the Presence of God
Brother Lawrence
4.3
The Power of Myth
Joseph Campbell
4.3
The Poetic Edda
Unknown
4.3
The Prince of Tides
Pat Conroy
4.2
The Portable Dante
Dante Alighieri
4.2