Reflections in a Critical Eye is intended to appeal both to scholars of Carson McCullers and to those unaffiliated with colleges and universities who read and celebrate her life and work. Following an introduction for newcomers to Southern literature and culture and to McCullers' life and work, the collection presents essays about diverse topics: -McCullers in the tradition of Southern women's nonfiction prose -daughters as outlaw figures in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and The Member of the Wedding -gender and the interplay among the roles characters assume in The Ballad of the Sad Caf -analysis of The Ballad of the Sad Caf to explore alcohol as an important signifier in McCullers' life and work -the political backdrop of McCullers' most well-known works -same-sex relationships in McCullers' novels and short stories -and the phenomenon of masquerade in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and The Ballad of the Sad Caf .