“Under the River”: An Examination of Language and the Problem of Literalism and Communication in Flannery O’Connor’s “The River” — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

“Under the River”: An Examination of Language and the Problem of Literalism and Communication in Flannery O’Connor’s “The River”

Name: Nicole Banistean
Major: English
Hometown: Glenview
Faculty Sponsor: Shannon Brennan
Other Sponsors: Pamela Smiley
Type of research: Senior thesis

Abstract

As one of America’s most unusual yet captivating authors, Flannery O’Connor strove to share her religious beliefs in a way that would best stick with readers. Her stories typically deal with religious themes in the context of unconventional relationships and twisted endings. O’Connor’s short story “The River” is no exception. In my work, I will be exploring the death of the protagonist Harry and arguing that while he is given spiritual guides in his mother and his babysitter, miscommunication and different modes of reasoning and interpretation lead to the failure of these guides and to Harry’s premature and unnecessary demise. Although Harry’s drowning is often viewed as an ultimate show of faith, I argue that it is not. This paper will draw upon some of Ferdinand de Saussure’s Theory of Structuralism, as well as numerous other scholars and their works, to prove these claims. In her eagerness to portray a need for God and a perfect example of true revelation, O’Connor has unfortunately managed to prove only the former, while unintentionally disproving the latter.

Poster file