The River (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Flannery O’Connor
- First Published: 1953
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: The mid-twentieth century
- Setting: Southern United States
- Principal Characters: Harry Ashfield, Mrs. Connin, Mr. Ashfield, The Reverend Bevel Summers, Mr. Paradise, J. C., Spivey, Sinclair
- Genres: Short fiction, Domestic realism
- Subjects: Children, United States or Americans, South or Southerners, Twentieth century, Child abuse, Cancer, Death or dying, Jesus Christ, Babysitting or babysitters
- Locales: South (U.S.)
The Story
Early one morning, the tired Mr. Ashfield hands over his son, Harry, to a baby-sitter, Mrs. Connin. Although she has been at work all night, she will keep Harry with her until late that evening. Before leaving the Ashfields’ apartment, Mrs. Connin criticizes the cigarette butts that she smells and the modern art that she sees on the wall, and she hears that Mrs. Ashfield, Harry's mother, is ill. As she and Harry leave, she tells the boy that she will take him today to see the Reverend Bevel Summers, who will be conducting a healing service by a local river. When she...
[The entire page is 1407 words long]
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