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Explanation and Analysis:
In Wise Blood, O'Connor's writing style can be characterized as ironic and sardonic. The novel is particularly marked by foreshadowing and an ominous mood, which constantly leaves the reader apprehensive about what will come. However, O'Connor doesn't necessarily treat the characters or events with cynicism. Nor does she betray any clear religious, political, or ideological perspectives or motives. Rather, she treats her fictional creations with a matter-of-fact, balanced acceptance. This seems to go hand in hand with her claim in the Author's Note to the Second Edition from 1962 that "Wise Blood was written by an author congenitally innocent of theory, but one with certain preoccupations."
Alongside her irony, foreshadowing, and ominous mood, O'Connor fills the novel with figurative language that often has a stirring, poetic effect. She uses a large amount of metaphors, similes, and imagery to develop the characters, setting, and plot. To highlight the Southern setting, she gives most of her characters a Southern accent. This use of vernacular dialect contributes to the characterization of her cast of distinct, eccentric characters. While literary critics often emphasize the grotesque elements of Southern Gothic and the horrific elements of O'Connor's stories, her rich figurative language serves as a reminder that she wasn't only interested in creating sinister characters and events, but that she also wanted to use language in creative and beautiful ways.
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