Characters in O’Connor’s “Good Country People”

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Mrs. Freeman and Hopewell
Impressions
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The short story “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor is an intricate psychoanalytical exploration of the characters that are not so different from regular people. In each person and family, some hidden idiosyncrasies and dysfunctions morph their relationship and outlook on the world. The main characters of the story observe and relate to others through judgment leading to their perceptions and blind belief in certain ideas to be fundamentally challenged.

Mrs. Freeman and Hopewell

Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Hopewell in the story are often observing the world around them and placing themselves around other people. The third-person omniscient point of view from the narrator allows the reader to glance into the minds of several introduced characters. Both women exemplify a tremendous amount of judgment about others while being self-absorbed. This is evident especially in Mrs. Hopewell’s “good country people,” an example of her naivete that people around her are either “trash” or good-hearted. She considers herself be wise in the supposedly accurate judgment of character. However, she did accept that life isn’t perfect, with people having their faults. Mrs. Hopewell was kind and patient, seeking goodness in people. Mrs. Freeman was straightforward, constantly voicing her opinion and never admitting she was wrong. Instead, she often sought to point out the mistakes of others. Egoistically, she took credit for the thoughts that Mrs. Hopewell voiced. Around others Mrs. Freeman was often observant, choosing to look quietly on from her favorite spot in the room. At times, she showed some compassion and understanding, especially towards her daughters and Hulga (O’Connor, 218-224). The women’s strong-willed characters mixed with arrogance twist their view of the world.

Impressions

The initial response to the story’s title was presumptuous, but it was drastically changed as the narrative progressed. Originally, the title gives a perception of a narrative that will be focused on rural life with all its platitudes. However, the brilliance of this story is that the use of clichés such as “good country people” tends to blind the characters to the true nature of things (Donley, par. 5). The phrase itself is a judgment given out by the Hopewell family based on social status. The title brought to attention from the very beginning jumps out at the reader every time it is used, setting up the trust that Hopewells do have in the “country people.” At first, the story seems to be set up as a family conflict until the appearance of Manley Pointer. “‘Aren’t you,’ she murmured, ‘aren’t you just good country people?’” (O’Connor, 254). By the end, the reader realizes that the title plays a driving force behind the narrative so ironically that blind cliché judgment is misplaced. The impression of the title changes drastically as the reader is amazed at the radically misconceived opinions as well as the sudden change of character in Manley Pointer. Meanwhile, in her arrogance, Hulga experiences a twisted and humbling embarrassment by being fooled. The world that she thought she knew so well through her education suddenly became grounded in reality. Similarly, the reader undergoes a sort of catharsis, now forced to think about their own possibly misplaced judgments and stereotypes.

Conclusion

A person’s perception of the world changes with personal life experience. The arrogance and judgment of Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman is an example of close-minded people. Their ideals are misconceived and are fundamentally challenged by the ironic situations in the narrative.

Works Cited

Donley, Carol. “Good Country People.”NYU School of Medicine, n.d. Web.

O’Connor, Flannery. “Good Country People.” A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories. Harcourt Brace & Co., 2001, pp. 217-253.

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Characters in O’Connor’s “Good Country People”

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