Sequoyah answers “Was the author racist or just reflecting...”

enjada asked this question about Wise Blood:

Was the author racist or just reflecting the time? It was often irritating and also was very creepy!

Sequoyah It’s a novel written in the fifties about people from the south in the same time period. Yes, it is a reflection of the southern zeitgeist at that tim…moreIt’s a novel written in the fifties about people from the south in the same time period. Yes, it is a reflection of the southern zeitgeist at that time, at least in the vernacular. You should separate the art from the author. The main character is a man, yet the author wasn’t, so I don’t see why a truthful depiction of 1950’s south should be a reflection of the author’s own beliefs. Rather, it is simply just a story with racist characters.(less)

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