弗兰纳里·奥康纳把疾病看成是上帝的恩典,其作品中不断重现恩典来自苦难的奥秘,秉信人性的善是在苦楚的火焰中锻造出来的。奥康纳青睐于对残疾人、畸形人的刻画,其怪诞的风格常使读者感到猝然心惊,与“越来越倾向于认为生命的苦痛和奥秘最终会消逝在人类科学发展步伐中”~((1))的时代主流精神相悖。 Flannery O’Connor treats the disease as the grace of God. His works continuously reproduce the mystery of grace from misery, and believe that the goodness of humanity is forged in the flames of pain. O’Connor favors the portrayal of persons with disabilities and freaks, and his grotesque style often gives the reader a sense of sudden panic, more and more inclined to believe that the pain and mystery of life will eventually disappear in the pace of human science. ~ ((1)) contrary to the mainstream spirit of the times.