Narcissism and Spirituality in Flannery O’Connor’s Stories

Virtually any short story by Flannery O’Connor could serve as a poignant case study of narcissism. While narcissism in the guises of ambition and hubris is an ancient literary theme, O’Connor’s protagonists vividly exemplify a syndrome of covert and hypervigilant narcissism that has been well characterized in the literature. Her work also strongly implies that narcissism and spirituality (particularly Christianity) are antithetical, and two of her stories—“The Enduring Chill” and “The Lame Shall Enter First”—are analyzed with respect to this belief. The characters of Asbury and Sheppard exhibit classic narcissistic signs and symptoms as delineated by Kohut and Kernberg. The complex relationship of narcissism to evil, spirituality, and contemporary culture is explored, and it is argued that narcissism has a prominent spiritual dimension that raises questions about the role of values in psychotherapy.