Topic > Literary Analysis of Good Country Folks by Flannery O' Connor

Does anyone know what a political cartoonist is? His literal job description is to valorize a character flaw usually of a politician or the stupidity of a political event by magnifying it. In other words, the job of a political cartoonist is to highlight people's flaws and make them known and perhaps push for change. The reason I say this is because Flannery O'Connor dreamed of becoming a political cartoonist. In his short story, Good Country People, each character has a specific flaw and the way he highlights this is through their names. It is completely transparent and you will find out by reading this short story. I would describe its theme as a continuous evolution of the characters' personalities and their development in relation to the real world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayOne of the main flaws of Good Country People is the hypocrisy of human beings. For example, Mrs. Hopewell is so naive and sees the absolute best in people. “Good country people are the salt of the earth! Plus, we each have different ways of doing things, it takes all kinds to make the world go round. This is life!”. This is one of many times in the tale where Mrs. Hopewell will claim that everyone is good, but in reality she turns her back on humanity and refuses to see evil in the world. Joy is another character who demonstrates hypocrisy. A self-proclaimed atheist but has never left her bubble, she spends all her time reading science books that contain explanations of what Christians and Christianity as a whole believe. She thinks she knows everything because all she is surrounded by are “good country people” who are strong in their faith. Mrs. Freeman is another key character. We can see from his name alone that it means "free man". She is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Mrs. Hopewell. She sees the world as it truly is, is not unaware of the evils and wrongdoings that humans are capable of, but, ironically, is so concerned with the lives and dramas of others that she has little freedom or life for herself. Last but not least, a bible salesman named Manly Pointer. He shows innocence but is evil. Irony and flaws are presented that have a much deeper meaning than simple deception. It concerns all humanity. It shows that there are people in this world who claim to be Christians but don't live that lifestyle. What's interesting about this story is that as O'Connor introduces the characters, he explains and reveals the amount of hypocrisy that truly is in this world. Not only that, but all the characters have something to do with each other. Not just because they are in history, but because they all represent something deeper and linked to the flaws of today's world. One thing about this short story of good country people with flaws is that it is timeless. I am not comparing it to the Bible in any way, shape or form; or deduce that O'Connor is God. But he hit on something that will always be present, human flaws and sin. Going back to the point in the previous paragraph, all the characters are related. It is a circle of hope, deception, flaws and fulfillment. It starts with Mrs. Hopewell who is so oblivious to the world but strong in her faith. To Mrs. Freeman who is so interested in other people's business that she doesn't focus on her own life. Then to Joy, who changes her name to Hulga because she thinks she's ugly, and it matches her prosthetic leg, and she wants nothing to do with society but she can't cut herself off completely because every human wants attention in some way. Then he met this Bible salesman named Manly Pointer.