Parker's Back

Describe Parker’s transformation throughout the story. How does this transformation shape his life? How does Sarah Ruth respond to his transformation?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/ Analysis Prompt invites students to contextualize the theme of Transformation of the Soul within the context of the story. Parker’s transformation is a spiritual experience, which culminates in following an internal call to receive a tattoo of the Byzantine Christ, an external sign of Parker’s new profound connection with God. O’Connor uses Parker’s spiritual transformation to contrast his with Sarah Ruth’s piousness. Ruth shares the general social norms of the 1960s that considered tattoos to be crude; further, she strongly disapproves because she sees a sinful idol in the image of Christ. Parker’s frustration with his wife combined with this higher calling to spirituality negates the traditional social expectations of tattoos and religion and instead creates a spiritual bond with a higher presence. This Transformation of the Soul links with both God as Pursuer as well as the haunting of Christ as a presence in Southern Gothic literature, which O’Connor included in many of her stories (please see the second resource for the Short Activity).