Analysis Of Flannery O Connor's The Leader Of The People

John Steinbeck’s “The Leader of the People” studies the relationships between three generations and how quickly one generation can forget the accomplishments and concerns of another. “Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen is a poem that expresses his doubts and confusions about the world and the relationship between people and God. “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks is a poem written in an ironic manner to portray the carefree and eventual tragic lives of seven dropouts who think that they are “cool.” “Good Country People” by Flannery O’ Connor is a short story in which through the use of irony in her writing, she reveals to us the modern world without vision or knowledge. 1) John Steinbeck starts “The Leader of the People” with Billy Buck, the farm hand, finishing up the hay from last year. When Jody walks outside and sees all the mice that are nesting in the haystack, he plans to round up and kill them for entertainment. This act could relate to the Grandfather’s …show more content…
For example, throughout the story Mrs. Hopewell projects an air of moral superiority and speaks of the difference between “good country people” and “trash”, however it’s unclear what makes her so much better than the individuals she frowns upon. She views herself as treating Mrs. Freeman with respect, but in actuality looks down on her. While Mrs. Hopewell closely follows social norms to make her appear moral and kind, she does not act this way out of genuine kindness but rather from a sense of obligation and keeping up pretenses. This facade masks Mrs. Hopewell’s immoral and judgmental nature, even from herself. This is a form of hypocrisy because she only pretends to be truly generous and kind, but only to the point as it gives her the appearance of following social