Exiled at Home: Displacement and Its Discontents in the Works of Flannery O'Connor

press release: Gary Kriewald, retired professor of English, UW-Platteville, will discuss two stories by Flannery O' Connor: "Good Country People" and "The Enduring Chill" in order to show how:  

- O'Connor treats the concept of displacement, a prevalent theme in her work.

- Many of her characters are "displaced" in a variety of ways: geographically, intellectually, and spiritually. Everyone at some time has felt displaced while struggling to find a way to overcome the hindrances to achieving their personal ambitions or fulfilling their human potential.

-  For O'Connor, this sense of displacement is usually the result of alienation from God and the solution is the (often violent) arrival of a moment of Grace.

Both stories provide compelling examples of a great writer exploring this universal human dilemma.

Gary L. Kriewald was born and raised in Merrill and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He taught literature and writing in colleges and universities in California, Texas, Illinois, and most recently UW-Platteville. Recently retired, he lives on the near eastside of Madison.