Note
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Member of
Contributors
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Date Issued
1975
Description
William Blatty's The Exorcist can be effectively read
as a contemporary saint's life. A study of traditional
hagiography reveals how closely Blatty's novel conforms
to the traditional pattern. Father Karras, Blatty's
hero, confronts the mystery of evil in the demon Pazuzu
who has inhabited the body of an eleven-year-old girl.
Like the traditional saints, Karras exorcises the demon
only through personal sacrifice. In so doing he takes
the sins of the other upon him self and becomes a
living example of the "mystery of goodness." Like his
hagiographic predecessors, however, Karras must suffer
a fall into despair before achieving sainthood. In The
Exorcist this fall (ultimately fortunate) takes the form
of a tormenting religious skepticism and soul-killing
scientific rationalism. By the end of the novel, however,
modern rationalism has been redeemed by the
reemergence of a mystical good, which, in the traditional
Christian paradox, can only come into being through the
machinations of a mystical evil.
as a contemporary saint's life. A study of traditional
hagiography reveals how closely Blatty's novel conforms
to the traditional pattern. Father Karras, Blatty's
hero, confronts the mystery of evil in the demon Pazuzu
who has inhabited the body of an eleven-year-old girl.
Like the traditional saints, Karras exorcises the demon
only through personal sacrifice. In so doing he takes
the sins of the other upon him self and becomes a
living example of the "mystery of goodness." Like his
hagiographic predecessors, however, Karras must suffer
a fall into despair before achieving sainthood. In The
Exorcist this fall (ultimately fortunate) takes the form
of a tormenting religious skepticism and soul-killing
scientific rationalism. By the end of the novel, however,
modern rationalism has been redeemed by the
reemergence of a mystical good, which, in the traditional
Christian paradox, can only come into being through the
machinations of a mystical evil.
Language
Type
Form
Extent
74 p.
Subject (Topical)
Identifier
13712
Additional Information
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1975.
FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Date Backup
1975
Date Text
1975
Date Issued (EDTF)
1975
Extension
FAU
FAU
admin_unit="FAU01", ingest_id="ing1508", creator="staff:fcllz", creation_date="2007-07-19 01:30:33", modified_by="staff:fcllz", modification_date="2011-01-06 13:09:02"
IID
FADT13712
Issuance
monographic
Organizations
Attributed name: Florida Atlantic University
Person Preferred Name
LAROCCA, LUCAS J., JR.
Graduate College
Physical Description
74 p.
application/pdf
Title Plain
WILLIAM PETER BLATTY'S "THE EXORCIST": A MODERN HAGIOGRAPHY
Use and Reproduction
Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Origin Information
1975
monographic
Boca Raton, Fla.
Florida Atlantic University
Physical Location
Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Place
Boca Raton, Fla.
Sub Location
Digital Library
Title
WILLIAM PETER BLATTY'S "THE EXORCIST": A MODERN HAGIOGRAPHY
Other Title Info
WILLIAM PETER BLATTY'S "THE EXORCIST": A MODERN HAGIOGRAPHY