Flannery O’Connor wrote two short stories, “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” and “Good Country People,” during her short-lived writing career. Despite her literary achievements, O’Connor often faces criticism for the grotesque nature of her characters and the endings of her short stories and novels. Her writings have been described as “understated, orderly, unexperimental fiction, with a Southern backdrop and a Roman Catholic vision.” O’Connor’s works seem to defy the restless innovators who came before her and rose to prominence after her death. Both “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” and “Good Country People” are set in the South, where O’Connor explores the tension between the old and new South. These two stories share a common theme of trusting a stranger who ultimately misleads the protagonists and causes their lives to change. Additionally, O’Connor delves into Christian theology, contrasting the new and old South, and exploring the concept of fallen human nature.
The text explores the depiction of old and new Southern culture in “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” by O’Connor. The grandmother embodies traditional Southern values through her focus on appearance, manners, and ladylike behavior. O’Connor describes her attire: “her collars and cuffs were organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (O’Connor 118). This story showcases the stark contrast between extreme terms, the indifference that treats violence as a rare social opportunity, and the ironic presentation by O’Connor, creating both fear and absurdity.
The use of irony in O’Connor’s writing exposes the grandmother’s self-deception about being a lady and turns it into a funny situation. O’Connor goes into detail describing the characters’ clothes and attitudes to provide insight to the reader. The grandmother’s extensive preparation for the trip reflects the Southern tradition of presenting oneself with pride. She takes pride in her appearance as she wants to be recognized as a lady. On the other hand, Bailey’s family represents the new Southern culture that is more open to change, though not entirely receptive. O’Connor highlights this contrast by describing the children’s mother and their clothing, which represents their respective ages.
The Children’s mother was still dressed in slacks and had her hair tied up in a green kerchief, while the grandmother wore a navy blue straw sailor hat with white dots. This contrast in attire represents the changing role of Southern women, as the mother embodies the New South where traditional notions of femininity are less prominent. In the old South, a lady would never wear slacks or tie her hair in a kerchief when going out in public, as these actions would be deemed unladylike. Flannery O’Connor captures the tension between the old and new South through the ongoing conflicts between the grandmother, her son, and her daughter-in-law. This contrast is further explored in O’Connor’s short story “Good Country People,” where characters like Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman embody the values and beliefs of the old South through their demeanor and traditional beliefs. Mrs. Freeman, who works for Mrs. Hopewell, is considered non-trash based on Mrs. Hopewell’s keeping her around.
Mrs. Hopewell describes Mrs. Freeman and her two daughters as “two of the finest girls she knew and Mrs. Freeman was a lady and that she was never ashamed to take her anywhere or introduce her to anybody they might mett”. In contrast, Joy/Hulga represents the new south that is not concerned with self-presentation in the same way as the grandmother in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”. Joy/Hulga shows her indifference towards the morning gossip between the older ladies. O’Connor portrays Joy/Hulga’s disregard for the old south and its manners by describing how she stumps into the kitchen in the morning, intentionally making an ugly-sounding noise that Mrs. Hopewell finds offensive. Despite glancing at them, Joy/Hulga does not speak.
O’Connor juxtaposes Joy/Hulga with her mother, Mrs. Hopewell, by highlighting their contrasting mannerisms, clothing, and overall demeanor. While Mrs. Hopewell sits across the kitchen in her red kimono, with her hair tied in rags, Joy/Hulga’s behavior is described as making awful noises. Furthermore, Joy/Hulga’s decision to change her name to Hulga signifies her rejection of the traditional Southern customs imposed by her mother. Unlike her mother, Joy/Hulga refuses to conform to social norms and deliberately produces grotesque and unladylike sounds without offering any apologies. Living at home due to her physical disabilities, Joy/Hulga’s existence is a constant embodiment of rejecting the life she is surrounded by.
Joy/Hulga stands out from the traditional society of the old south because she has achieved a Ph.D. in philosophy. According to O’Connor, Mrs. Hopewell believed it was acceptable for girls to attend school for leisurely purposes, but Joy had taken it to the next level. She had obtained a Ph.D. in philosophy, which completely puzzled Mrs. Hopewell. While you could proudly declare, “My daughter is a nurse,” “My daughter is a schoolteacher,” or even “My daughter is a chemical engineer,” you would not dare say, “My daughter is a philosopher” (276). Mrs. Hopewell sees pursuing such an education as unfeminine, yet Joy/Hulga disregards this antiquated Southern perception of women and their right to education. Joy/Hulga believes she has created an identity that is the complete opposite of her mother’s.
Flannery O’Connor delves into various contrasting views in her two short stories, besides the differences in education and mannerisms between the old and new south. Christianity and fallen human nature are themes that add depth and ironic twists to “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” and “Good Country People”. O’Connor explores the ideals and hypocrisies of the Christian religion and faith in both stories. Her writings examine traditional Christian themes such as “fall and redemption, nature and grace, sin and innocence”. In “A Good Man Is Hard To Find”, O’Connor challenges the grandmother’s faith and beliefs in Christianity. Towards the end of the story, when facing her own death, the Misfit remarks, “Jesus was the only One that ever raised the dead … and he shouldn’t have done it. He thrown everything off balance.”
The Misfit’s perspective demonstrates the existence of Evil within society. The grandmother believed that being from a “good” background automatically made someone “good”. However, O’Connor presents a different view of the old south, showing a world that is haunted by both the sacred and the demonic. These two opposing forces constantly battle for control over individuals’ souls. The grandmother represents a devout Christian servant, while the Misfit symbolizes the devil or an Anti-Christ figure. If He fulfilled His promises, then all one must do is abandon everything and follow Him. If He did not, then one should make the most of their remaining time by committing acts of violence or cruelty towards others.
In spite of the grandmother’s good deeds, she finds no help from God in her time of need. The traditional view in the old South was that doing good would lead to a good life, but O’Connor acknowledges the existence of Evil and the presence of the Devil in this world. O’Connor’s opposition to secularism and individualism can also be seen in her short story “Good Country People”. This story presents two contrasting views of religion: devout Christianity and atheism. The devout Christian characters, Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman, represent the old South, similar to the grandmother in “A Good Man Is Hard To Find”. O’Connor criticizes the faithful and trusting old southern Christians in “A Good Man Is Hard To Find”, but leaves the reader uncertain about the ending in “Good Country People”. The story concludes with an atheist being deceived by someone pretending to be a Christian.
The text suggests that O’Connor may be presenting the idea that distinguishing between “good country people” and those who are deceitful or dishonest, such as Christians or liars, is difficult. The story “Good Country People” explores the concept that appearance and actions are unreliable indicators of whether someone is a Christian or not. In the old South, people place their trust in outward appearances, while in the new South, there is more caution and skepticism. However, this does not mean that they are immune to deception, as evidenced by what happens to Joy/Hulga. Joy/Hulga is an atheist who rejects all Christian beliefs and arrogantly claims that she is saved while others are damned. She equates her enlightenment to Christian salvation by stating that “we are all damned… but some of us have removed our blindfolds and realized that there is nothing to see.”
Joy/Hulga believes that she is liberated from the hypocrisies of the Christian faith and represents the progressive attitude of the new south. According to O’Connor, Joy/Hulga perceives her rejection of Christianity as her salvation. However, a question arises: is she truly rescued? Joy/Hulga endeavors to tempt Pointer, an itinerant Bible salesman, with an intention to transform his remorse into a deeper comprehension of life. Ironically, it is Pointer who imparts the crucial lesson to Joy/Hulga. Unexpectedly, he turns against her and pilfers her artificial leg. In a burst of fury, Joy/Hulga exclaims, “‘You’re a Christian!’ … ‘You’re a fine Christian! You’re just like them all–say one thing and do another.’”. Unable to differentiate between him and Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman, Joy/Hulga assumes that distancing herself from Christianity saves her from its pitfalls and hypocrisy.
In actuality, she is not spared from it at all. Pointer responds to her comment saying “‘I hope you don’t think … that I believe in that crap! I may sell Bibles but I know which end is up and I wasn’t born yesterday and I know where I am going!’”(O’Connor 290). O’Connor presents the reader with a criticism of religion and Christianity in both of her stories. Joy/Hulga believes that all Christians are identical, but O’Connor points out that there are various types. Pointer pretends to be a Christian in order to exploit their needs and insecurities. Joy/Hulga is deceived by his charming and dependable personality, but she is incapable of identifying his ulterior motives. “Good Country People” highlights that individuals do not always prove to be who they present themselves as. The reader is left uncertain and questions the notion of inherently “good” individuals and doubts the significance of the Christian faith.
While discussing the faults within the Christian faith and its practices, O’Connor also delves into the concept of fallen human nature. This can be seen through the characters of the Misfit in “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” and Pointer in “Good Country People”, both of whom embody traits of fallen human nature. O’Connor thoroughly examines the idea of this fallen nature. The Misfit, despite hailing from a respectable family, acknowledges that “God never made a finer woman than my mother and my daddy’s heart was pure gold”. Thus, O’Connor ponders how an individual from such a “good family” could eventually become so malevolent? One possible explanation is fallen human nature. The Misfit refutes the grandmother’s assertion that he is a good man, stating, “I ain’t a good man…but I ain’t the worst in the world neither”. This indicates that he has come to realize his own lack of goodness. Although he cannot pinpoint where he went astray, he admits, “I never was a bad boy that I remember of…but somewhere along the line I done something wrong and got sent to the penitentiary. I was buried alive”.
The Misfit acknowledges that he was once good, but he cannot determine the origin of his fallen human nature. In “Good Country People,” O’Connor introduces another character with a fallen human nature. Pointer does not argue that he was once good; instead, he informs Hulga, “you ain’t so smart. I been believing in nothing ever since I was born!”. Pointer’s character demonstrates that one can be born with a fallen human nature, or society can shape them that way from birth. This is in contrast to the Misfit, who experiences fallen human nature later in life. The concept of fallen human nature contradicts the beliefs of the old south, where “good country people” were presumed to always be “good,” and where it was also believed that “bad” people were inherently born that way.
According to O’Connor, one’s society has the power to influence personal transformation. In the case of the Misfit, who was raised by “nice folks,” the assumption in the old south would have been that he would also be nice. However, the grandmother repeatedly insists, “I know you came from nice people!” (O’Connor 132). Bailey, the grandmother’s son, is aware of their predicament and knows that the Misfit is not a pleasant person. Similarly, in “Good Country People,” Pointer presents himself as a “good country person” and boldly states, “I’m just as good as you any day in the week” (O’Connor 290). Pointer rejects the old south’s belief in inherently good people and argues that he himself is not a bad person.
In her works “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” and “Good Country People”, O’Connor explicitly explores Christian theology through the characters Pointer and the Misfit. She also examines the contrasting viewpoints of the old and new south, questioning both Christian theology and Southern culture. O’Connor’s use of irony and satire adds depth to her stories, while her cultural analysis of the South adds a higher level of understanding. Additionally, she delves into the concept of fallen human nature and its causes. Ultimately, O’Connor’s works offer a detailed analysis of both the social and cultural aspects of the South, fearlessly critiquing the society in which she was raised and lived.
Bibliography
- :Works CitedAsals, Frederick. Flannery O’Connor: The Imagination of Extremity. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1982.
- Bleikstan, Andre. “The Heresy of Flannery O’Connor”. Critical Essays on Flannery O’Connor. Ed. Melvin J. Friedman and Beverly Lyon Clark. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1985. Friedman, Melvin J. Introduction. Critical Essays on Flannery O’Connor. Ed. Melvin J. Friedman and Beverly Lyon Clark. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1985.
- O’Connor, Flannery. The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor. New York: The Noonday Press, 1971.
