Christianity vs. Entrapment in OConnor Wise Blood Essay -- OConnor W

Christianity vs. Entrapment in O'Connor's Wise Blood      Ã‚  Ã‚   In "The Cage of Matter: The World as Zoo in Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood," William Rodney Allen addresses the "reverse evolution" of Enoch Emery and the "inverted quest for salvation" of Hazel Motes, suggesting a parallel between the two main characters of O'Connor's novel which reinforces its theme of the utter hopelessness of those who reject or mock Christ. Allen shows that O'Connor describes the spiritually devoid characters in her book in animal-like terms, equating faithless humans with soulless animals. The essay further asserts that O'Connor uses the zoo as a metaphor for a physical world that entraps those without spirituality. Indeed, the novel shows a world of madness, seemingly empty of values and without meaning, which becomes a prison for those who can find no enlightenment. However, O'Connor herself once stated that "Wise Blood is a very hopeful book." This statement, along with the fact of her devout Catholicism, illuminates O'Connor's theme of Christia nity as a prerequisite for enlightenment and deli...