The Role Of Motherly Characters In O Connor's Stories

Throughout the three O’Connor stories that we read, a recurring pattern is revealed. O’Connor’s portrayal of judgmental nature reflects in the hypocrisy, selfishness, and dishonesty of the motherly characters. O’Connor’s stories have the ability to captivate the reader in more than one way. In one of the articles that I chose, the author explains that O’Connor splits her stories into two groups. In one, the tale revolves around “a single viewpoint whose consciousness filters the events and give the reader entry into the narrative; in the second, several perspectives are juxtaposed, with the reader poised between them” (Foster, 13). Her stories are very memorable because of the twists that she gives the characters. Furthermore, the mothers in …show more content…
Although a mother is supposed to be honest, caring, and supportive, O’Connor managed to create a character that was the complete opposite. In her short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” the motherly character is the grandmother. Her condescending tone and manner is what makes her so unlikeable. The article by S. Maing-Alston describes the grandmother to be childish, selfish, judgmental, dishonest, and forgetful. The grandmother tries to portray herself as a good person even though nothing about her is positive. O’Connor “uses the character of the grandmother to show the dangers of self-centeredness” (Maing-Alston). The grandmother establishes herself with confident self-importance. She deceits her son and talks down to him and the children. Her misguidance and dishonesty was the main factor to her family being killed. The fact that she lied about the house