Flannery O Connor Good Country People Summary

Flannery O’Connor frequently discusses religion and has said in interviews and personal writing that she sees the world in relation to Christ and His redemption (530). In both “Good Country People” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, O’Connor explores ideas about Christianity that suggests not only is she a Christian writer but she has struggled with her faith and delved deep into the theological side of this religion. The violence O’Connor uses in her stories helps show why God is needed in our lives and how His grace is the only thing we truly need that we can never find on our own. In “Good Country People”, O’Connor introduces a Christian boy who seems almost cliche in his faith. He claims that he is selling Bibles to fund his mission trip that God has called him on. After spending a large amount of time attempting to persuade Mrs. Hopewell to purchase one of his Bibles, readers can garner that he is truly on fire for the Lord. But O’Connor reveals his true nature. Manley eventually revokes his faith by stating that “I don’t believe that crap! I may sell Bibles but I know which end is up and I …show more content…
In both “Good Country People” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, she shows that the people who claim to be Christians or those who redacted their faith are those who lack these characteristics. The Misfit is representational of someone who has fallen away from the faith and does not believe in God nor His goodness. Both he and Manley are extreme examples of the effects due to the lack of God in one’s life. They are equally void of kindness, patience, peace, and grace. O’Connor uses these cliche characters to aid in her attempt to show the need for grace and love. This also explains her use of violence in her stories as it causes a sharp contrast between characters who reach out unconditionally to those who have harmed