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Analysis Of Good Country People By Flannery O Connor

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Flannery O’Conner uses the story “Good Country People” to show the reader, the many ways in which people can deceive each other and even themselves. O’Connor is religious in life and she uses religion to show the reader that even the most devoted can trick you. She also uses the names of the characters, to convey a whole other meaning. The author herself undercuts the characters to show the reader, how the character’s view on the world is wrong. It essentially makes the reader themselves question what they know and think about the world.
First, we need to look at the daughter Joy and how O’Connor undercuts her. Joy has an artificial leg and a Ph.D. in Philosophy. “Joy was her daughter, a large blonde girl who had an artificial leg. Mrs. Hopewell …show more content…

Manly Pointer is a conman and he sees how the world is, a world that has both good and evil. He is the representation of evil in this story. He signifies how the world or rather the people in it would be if they only followed their animalistic or manly nature. He is such a good conman he fooled everyone into thinking he is a Christian. He tears down Joy’s sense of superiority and the little faith she had in “Good country people” by saying, “you ain’t so smart. I been believing in nothing every since I was born!” (2537). Manly saw that the mother and daughter had the view of religion being the catalyst to determine if someone was good or bad, unintelligent or intelligent. He uses religion and intelligence for his personal gain and to deceive the Hopewell’s. He crushes Joy’s view on life and it lives her blinded to how the world works. Manly has enlightened her and the end of the story suggests that the mothers time will …show more content…

What is the significance of her heart condition? Does Manly have a heart condition or is it a part of his cover story? There are many questions that I as the reader am asking and with some the story itself answers them. While others bring more questions. I believe O’Connor made Joy with an artificial leg to make the readers more sympathetic to Joy. Without the artificial leg, I think Joy is snobby and thinks highly of herself. All the character has a sense that they are better than everyone because of their views, yet that superiority is what leaves them vulnerable to

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