Good Country People By Flannery O Connor

An illusion is a false sense of reality or a deception of the truth. The beauty industry capitalizes on women every day by promoting products that give the illusion of flawless skin, longer eyelashes, longer hair, bigger bra size, and slimming waist line. Many people can be deceived by others because they are not who they portray to be. In Flannery O’Connor’s short story “Good Country people” the author vividly describes a character that has a false sense of reality through intelligence, deception and unbelief. Hugla, the protagonist has a false misinterpretation of her intelligence. Even though she has several degrees in philosophy, Hugla thinks she has more intellect than the average person. The narrator states, “she looked at nice young men as if she could smell their stupidity” (461). Further more, because

People are not always who they portray themselves to be. Although, Mrs. Hopewell has a distorted view of reality of what a good country person suppose to be. She cries, “good country people are the salt of the earth! In the same way, she says to Hugla “Get rid of the salt of the earth” (463). Manley Pointer, the bible salesmen was the ultimate con man. He portrays himself to be a something he is not. He says to Mrs. Hopewell, “for a Chrustian, the word of God ought to be in every room in the house besides in his heart, I know you’re a chrustian because I can see it in every line of your face” (463). On the contrary he says, to Hugla “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’m going” (472)! Hugla’s initial plan was to deceive and seduce Manley Pointer. The narrator says, “She was thinking that she would run away with him and that every nigh he would take the leg off and every morning put it back on again” (471). Hugla’s lack of experience with men caused her to be the one that is easily