Southern Identity In O Connor's Short Stories

Southern Heart Throughout her stories, O’ Connor, has hidden meanings of her viewpoints on southern identity. O’Connor’s style of writing has deep meaning because she was raised in the south, and she expresses it through characters for the most part. In her short stories “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, “Good Country People”, and “Revelation” there is much hidden meaning in the characters that show their southern identity such as dialect and appearance. Throughout O’Conner’s short stories, the characters are symbols that lead to a greater meaning to southern identity. For example, Mrs. Turpin, The Misfit, and Hulga from the short stories are symbols and they have the characteristics of southern identity. O’Connor lived a short but complex life; her complexity comes through her writing and stories. In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” O’Connor shows religion through her characters and the dialogue. For example, The Misfit is a man who even though he had escaped from jail he still has some respect for the family and apologizes for not having a …show more content…
Joy who later changed her name to Hulga because she felt it didn’t really suit her has a wooden leg and agrees to meet up with the bible salesman. The salesman turns out to be a fake and he said he was going to rape her. Hulga responds by saying that she thought he was good country people. “Good Country People” describes how people from the south are actually pleasant. Hulga though goes in for a surprise when who she thought was a good country person wants to take advantage of her. O’Connor uses the character of the bible salesman to show that not all times southerners are good country people and that those who don’t know about southerners see them as good country people. When Manly Pointer takes Hulga’s leg away from her it actually tries to serve as proof that even without her leg she is still Hulga and that it should allow her to find grace