“A circle in the fire” como cuento macabro-folklórico.

Despite its brevity and the apparent local focus of its themes and motifs (connected with the US South), Flannery O’Connor’s literary production lies among the most widely analyzed of the 20th century. Nevertheless, the depth of her plots and characters have made an outstanding milestone of the western canon during the last decades out of her. Approaches such as Gender Studies, Race and Ethnicity, or those related to Neo-Historicism are probably the most relevant ones when interpreting O’Connor’s production. However, critics have been much more cautious when adhering her texts to more “traditional” points of view, as shown by the recent publications conducted in the research area of Gothic. Thus, this article aims to offer an analysis of “A Circle in the Fire,” one of the most representatives written by O’Connor, following the functions of folklore stablished by Vladimir Propp. Even though this narration is not a folkloric text, it shares many of the characteristics usually associated with them. In this way, it will be prove how Flannery O’Connor’s literary universe goes even beyond what critics have traditionally assessed.