REVISED FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY. Choose one of the following for your research essay (please refer to the information on the handout for additional information on research):
1. The antagonist is the force (whether internal or external) which creates a struggle with the protagonist in a work of fiction. In Flannery O'Connor's stories, however, the struggle between the antagonist and protagonist often leaves the protagonist with an internal struggle over long-held beliefs, whether spiritual or philosophical. Discuss how Manley Pointer and Mary Grace (both antagonists) function to "enlighten" the protagonist in "Good Country People" and "Revelation" and in the irony associated or connected to each antagonist and the resulting struggle within the protagonist.
2. Discuss O'Connor's use of violence as well as the grotesque and/or bizarre in "Good Country People" and "Revelation." What purpose does the violence serve in the story? What elements of the grotesque or bizzare has O'Connor included in each story? Why?
3. Discuss the importance of telling stories to a listening audience to Harold Krebs in "Soldier's Home," and Rat Kiley and Tim O'Brien in "How to Tell a True War Story." Why is storytelling important to both the soldier and the listener?
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