Religious Overtones in A View of the Woods

"Tilman was a man of quick action and few words. He sat habitually with his arms folded on the counter and his insignificant head weaving snake-fashion above them. He had a triangular-shaped face with the point at the bottom and the top of his skull was covered with a cap of freckles. His eyes were green and very narrow and his tongue was always exposed in his partly opened mouth. He had his checkbook handy and they got down to business at once. It did not take him long to look at the deed and sign the bill of sale. Then Mr. Fortune signed it and they grasped hands over the counter.

Mr. Fortune's sense of relief as he grasped Tilman's hand was extreme. What was done, he felt, was done and there could be no more argument, with her or with himself. He felt that he had acted on principle and that the future was assured." (O'Connor 542)

Flannery O'Connor's short stories frequently employ the use of religious imagery, specifically Judeo-Christian, to help convey her messages. Here, O'Connor describes the conniving Tilman as a character so blatantly snake-like that it seems comical that any character would trust him in a high level business transaction. The arrangement between Mr. Fortune and Tilman clearly invokes imagery of the Fall of Man. Mr. Fortune's willingly arrogant sale of the Pitts' grazing land visibly parallels the transaction between the Serpent and Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. As Mr. Fortune signs over the land, O'Connor curiously includes the line, "He felt that he had acted on principle and that the future was assured" (542). By including the word 'felt,' O'Connor seems to editorialize the description of the deal by subtly implying that Mr. Fortunes future is heading towards its tragic end. But the story is not wholly synchronous with the story of the Fall. This brief passage serves to highlight the seemingly irredeemable actions of Mr. Fortune in light of the Pitts' plight. O'Connor equates Mr. Fortune's actions with the most profound wrongness she can invoke through her Christian faith. This damning comparison casts Mr. Fortune's decisions in a completely scathing light and begs the question of whether or not his actions are redeemable.

Discussion Question: O'Connor often struggles with themes of redemption, in light of her comparison in this passage and his tragic end, does O'Connor's worldview allow for a person like Mr. Fortune to be redeemed?