With respect to the Bible verse that serves as the book’s epigraph, why do you think O’Connor chose the title The Violent Bear It Away? How does violence coincide with grace and revelation in the book?

Given O’Connor’s own status as a devout Catholic, why do so many of her characters exhibit traits that cast Christianity in a negative light? What do you think that says about O’Connor’s own attitudes toward religious hypocrisy?

Do either Tarwater or Rayber truly have free will? Does Tarwater’s ability to act make him any less a slave to his destiny than Rayber? How much significance do you place on Tarwater’s supposed status as a man of action?