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Quiz about Do You Know Your Flannery OConnor Stories
Quiz about Do You Know Your Flannery OConnor Stories

Do You Know Your Flannery O'Connor Stories? Quiz


Flannery O'Connor wrote thirty-two stories in her short life. Although she spent most of her time working on two novels, she is perhaps most remembered for her darkly humorous, highly spiritual stories. How well do you know your Flannery?

A multiple-choice quiz by smolly. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
smolly
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
359,311
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
124
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. A criminal on the loose called "The Misfit" murders an innocent family and says chillingly, "It's no real pleasure in life." What shocking story is this? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In "Parker's Back", O.E. Parker gets a giant tattoo of what on his back, to the anger of his wife? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In "The Turkey", young Ruller catches a turkey with his bare hands. How do he and his catch become separated at the end of the story? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. "Judgement Day", Flannery's last published story, is a rewrite of what, her first published story? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. How does Mrs. May die in "Greenleaf"? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. What is inside Manley Pointer's bible in "Good Country People"? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. How does Bevel die in "The River"? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What insult is hurled at Mrs. Turpin in "Revelation"? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which story features a character who is 104 years old? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Who is Sarah Ham in "The Comforts of Home"? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. A criminal on the loose called "The Misfit" murders an innocent family and says chillingly, "It's no real pleasure in life." What shocking story is this?

Answer: A Good Man is Hard to Find

Flannery's second story collection is named after this piece. It is arguably her most famous work, as well as her most terrifying and painfully honest. A rare recording of Flannery reading "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is available on YouTube. I recommend checking it out--she reads it with passion!
2. In "Parker's Back", O.E. Parker gets a giant tattoo of what on his back, to the anger of his wife?

Answer: Jesus

"'Idolatry!' Sarah Ruth screamed. 'Idolatry! Enflaming yourself with idols under every green tree! I can put up with lies and vanity but I don't want no idolater in this house!' and she grabbed up the broom and began to thrash him across the shoulders with it."

Yeah, she didn't like his tattoo very much. The story ends with poor Parker crying under a tree, reduced to tatters of the man he once was.
3. In "The Turkey", young Ruller catches a turkey with his bare hands. How do he and his catch become separated at the end of the story?

Answer: A gang of thieving boys grab it

This story is almost parabolic in its simplicity and message: Ruller's pride gets the best of him, and all he is left with in the end is a hard-earned lesson.
4. "Judgement Day", Flannery's last published story, is a rewrite of what, her first published story?

Answer: The Geranium

It is particularly chilling to read these stories back to back, because it is reflective of how much Flannery changed as a writer. "The Geranium" was written when she was only twenty-one, whereas "Judgement Day" was written when she was thirty-nine and on her death bed.

Although "The Geranium" is a beautiful piece in itself, her rewrite has a much broader scope of life, and a shocking knowledge of the reality of death.
5. How does Mrs. May die in "Greenleaf"?

Answer: Gored by a bull

"She did not hear the shots but she felt the quake in the huge body as it sank, pulling her forward on its head, so that she seemed, when Mr. Greenleaf reached her, to be bent over whispering some last discovery into the animal's ear."

Like many of Flannery's characters, Mrs. May dies a dramatic and revelatory death. The bull is an image of hatred to her as it continues to intrude on her property, and her insistent anger is what ends up (literally) goring her in the end.
6. What is inside Manley Pointer's bible in "Good Country People"?

Answer: Condoms, alcohol, and pornography

"Good Country People" is my personal favorite, and one of Flannery's, too. It is clean and delightful, funny, and, as always, kind of scary. Definitely a must-read!
7. How does Bevel die in "The River"?

Answer: Drowning by self-baptism

"The River" is one of her only stories written in the eyes of a child, and, as a result, Bevel's narrative has a beautiful blend of childhood innocence and Flannery's own intelligence. Bevel, captivated by the act of baptism, attempts to perform the act upon himself in a dangerous river, and it does not end as planned.
8. What insult is hurled at Mrs. Turpin in "Revelation"?

Answer: "Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart hog"

"The girl raised her head. Her gaze locked with Mrs. Turpin's. 'Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart hog,' she whispered. Her voice was low but clear. her eyes burned for a moment as if she saw with pleasure that her message had struck its target."

Isn't this the best insult you've ever heard? Mrs. Turpin didn't think so. In fact, the statement crushed her resolve entirely.
9. Which story features a character who is 104 years old?

Answer: A Late Encounter with the Enemy

General Sash is forced to attend his sixty-two-year-old daughter's college graduation. Sash is physically immobile, and Flannery manages to trap us inside his brain, forcing us to see the rather twisted thoughts of this grumpy Civil War veteran.
10. Who is Sarah Ham in "The Comforts of Home"?

Answer: A nymphomaniac

Her presence in protagonist Thomas's home draws such an incredible moral anger from him that he is forced to come to terms with his own philosophies entirely.
Source: Author smolly

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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