The Violent Bear It Away

Given O’Connor’s own status as a devout Catholic, why do so many of her characters exhibit traits that cast Christianity in a negative light? What do you think that says about O’Connor’s own attitudes toward religious hypocrisy?

Do either Tarwater or Rayber truly have free will? Does Tarwater’s ability to act make him any less a slave to his destiny than Rayber? How much significance do you place on Tarwater’s supposed status as a man of action?

Do you view “the friend” as working against Tarwater’s destiny or for it? Is it mere coincidence that by following the friend’s Satanic advice Tarwater becomes closer to God, or are there other forces at work here?

What fatal errors does Rayber make in his attempts to rehabilitate Tarwater? How are these errors a result of both his own personal trauma and his hyper-rational worldview?

What is the symbolic importance of Tarwater’s hat? What does it mean to Tarwater, and how does that differ from the meaning Rayber reads into the hat? What is the significance of Tarwater losing the hat following his sexual assault?

Do you trust Rayber’s account of the day he tries to save Tarwater, or is his shifting of blame to Bernice a mere coping mechanism for dealing with his guilt? How does Rayber’s devotion to secularism preclude him from dealing with concepts like guilt and forgiveness?

What are some of the most prominent dualities in the book? How are motifs like fire and water used to express dual qualities? What dualities do you sense in individual characters? How do these dualities challenge the assumptions of both the secular world and the religious world? 

Do you think anything could have been done to alter Tarwater’s destiny of becoming a prophet? What could Rayber have done differently to help the boy avoid his fate? To what degree does coincidence play a role in accelerating Tarwater’s path toward God?