Flannery O Connor's Good Country People

What is in a name? Oftentimes, a name often carries specific and direct meaning, and this is especially true when referring to the name of a character in a story. A name can point to a character’s personality, to a struggle in their life, or carry a specific irony. Short story authors like Flannery O’Connor, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Joyce Carol Oates pay particular attention when naming their characters and, in turn, the names have a great emphasis on the story. At times, the irony of a character’s name is blatantly obvious to the reader, yet at other times it is so subtle that a reader only picks up the on meaning subconsciously. A person’s name is quite often a true reflection of their personality. Authors frequently use this tactic when naming their characters. One example of this would be Mrs. Hopewell in Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People.” Mrs. Hopewell is a kind, caring, optimistic woman who always …show more content…
In Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Oates uses irony when naming her antagonist, Arnold Friend. He calls himself that in order to subconsciously show Connie that he is, “An Old Friend.” Flannery O’Connor does the same with one of her characters in “Good Country People,” Mrs. Freeman. She lived on the Hopewell’s farm with her husband, Mr. Freeman, and they work the land as sharecroppers. Though not a slave, they were heavily dependent on and tied to the Hopewells. Another example of an author using irony in naming their characters is Tim O’Brien’s short story, “The Things They Carried.” In this narrative, a young American soldier named Ted Lavender is killed in the Korean War. Lavender is a herb used for centuries and a calming sedative that fights anxiety and promotes restful sleep. However, despite his name, Ted Lavender is the most uptight, nervous, anxious soldier in the group. So much so, he keeps drugs with him to help calm him