Parker's Back

“Parker’s Back”

• Genre: Fiction; short story; Southern Gothic
• Originally Published: 1965
• Reading Level/Interest: College/adult
• Structure/Length: Short story; approximately 32 pages
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The protagonist, O.E. Parker, is a man fascinated with tattoos. He lives with his deeply religious, judgmental wife, Sarah Ruth. Parker’s desire to appease his wife and his compulsion to get a religious tattoo on his back create a unique conflict between faith, identity, and acceptance.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Religious themes and conflicts; body modification; emotional and psychological tension; portrayal of a negative marriage dynamic

Flannery O’Connor, Author

• Bio: Born 1925; died 1964; American novelist, short story writer, and essayist; key figure in Southern Gothic literature; suffered from lupus; devout Catholic, which greatly influenced her work; held a prestigious writing fellowship at Yaddo artist community in Saratoga Springs, New York
• Other Works: Wise Blood (1952); A Good Man Is Hard to Find (1955); The Violent Bear It Away (1960); Everything That Rises Must Converge (1965)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Search for Meaning
• God as Pursuer
• Transformation of the Soul

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Guide, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the literary and sociological contexts regarding the role of religion and spirituality in O’Connor’s Southern Gothic works that impact protagonist Parker’s transformation as a dynamic character.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Search for Meaning, God as Pursuer, and Transformation of the Soul.
• Research and share a group presentation on the role of tattoos in a specific time period and culture, based on text details.