Flannery O’Connor, Simone Weil, Writing, and the Crucifixion

Publication Type

Journal Article

Year of Publication

2010

Author

Desmond, John F.

Journal

Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture

Volume

13

Number

1

Pages

35-52

Language

English

Publish Dates

Win

Keywords

affliction (malheur)
attention
creation
cross
O'Connor, Flannery
sacraments
writing

Annotation

Desmond begins by suggesting O'Connor and Weil saw the crucifixion as "both a personal and an artistic answer to the prevailing nihilism of the age" (p. 35). He goes on to elaborate what this meant for O'Connor, noting her belief in the importance of suffering and attention found in her work, something very important to Weil, whose work O'Connor read. He then goes on to note the similarities and differences between the two in their understanding of attention, suffering and the crucifixion as well as the 'sacramental nature of creation'.