O fogo e os profetas: a presença bíblica em 'A Circle in The Fire', de Flannery O'Connor

Abstract

This article analyzes the presence of literary aspects of the biblical text in the short story A Circle in The Fire by American writer Flannery O'Connor. The short story tells the story of a confrontation between a rich landowner and a group of three teenagers who begin to harass the woman with their unruly behavior on her property. In this analysis, the considerations of Robert Alter (2007) and Northrop Frye (2004 and 2006) will serve as a theoretical basis for the considerations that will be made regarding the biblical text as a literary work. After presenting an overview of literary studies regarding the Bible, we will investigate how O'Connor's story appropriates some biblical images and themes — more specifically, the figures of the prophets and the archetype of fire — for the development of her story. Our objective is to demonstrate that an adequate interpretation of O'Connor's work must take into account the deep relationships between the author's work and the biblical text.