Wise Blood

Hazel Motes is the protagonist of Flannery O’Connor’s novel, Wise Blood. At the beginning of the novel, Motes has just returned home from World War II and his experiences in the war have changed him: he has become extremely cynical and wastes no opportunity to challenge other people’s belief in Christ and his redemptive powers. Ironically, Motes is repeatedly mistaken for a preacher, as he wears his grandfather’s old preacher hat, even as he goes out of his way to express his lack of belief in anything. But Motes seems to struggle between doubt and belief throughout the book, and he becomes obsessed with debating religion with the blind preacher Asa Hawks. Hawks, however, wants nothing to do with him but his disinterest only increases Motes’ determination.

With nothing else to do, Motes establishes the “Church Without Christ” and takes to preaching his anti-religious ideas in the streets of Taulkinham. Unfortunately, except for Enoch Emery, no one is really interested in what he has to say. Even though Enoch is the closest thing Motes has to a disciple, he rejects the young man and anyone else that tries to get close to him, including Sabbath Hawks and Mrs.