From the beginning Flannery O’Connor’s writing developed into the style most commonly known as “Southern gothic”. Southern gothic is a style of literature that misleads and disrupt characters in malevolent situations. O’Connors writing not only expresses religion and morality in her stories, but also shows how the two meet head-on. O’Connor also describes her fiction subject as “the action of grace in territory held largely by the devil” (3). Many of O’Connor’s stories begin with real-life settings. For example, a farm or a family home such as “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “Good Country People”. Although her stories have realistic settings, O’Connor employs a great use of foreshadowing to create shocking and outrageous twists. As
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Each story (“Good Country People” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find”) builds up the characters to be believed a certain way. Manley Pointer is perceived as a religious and faithful bible salesman, as he reveals “I want to devote my life to Christian service…” (4). This characterization is dramatically changed at the end of the story when Manley states “Hulga,’ he said, using the name as if he didn’t think much of it, “you ain’t so smart. I been believing in nothing ever since I was born!” (9). Manley is in fact a rebel, a stealer, and his name is even an alias. The Misfit who is also built as a stereotype throughout the story is considered an escaped convict and killer, revealed as the Grandmother states, "Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it” (567). This introduction of the Misfit is read at the beginning of the story, where it also foreshadows to a confrontation further on. The Misfit turns out to be a polite and a thoughtful person, who was accused for something he has no memory of. The Misfit might of been falsely indicted for which would make sense, however, his actions contradict what he says. It is likely that the Misfit by not remembering is a symptom of him feeling he hasn’t done anything wrong or simply doesn’t think it’s that …show more content…
Along with differences how the Misfit and Manley Pointer express themselves at the end of each story. The main focus in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is redemption, where as “Good Country People” is mostly about the antagonism of disbelief and a start towards redemption. Even though with these differences both act as excellent lessons of redemption and the desolation of life when it come to believing in
Each story (“Good Country People” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find”) builds up the characters to be believed a certain way. Manley Pointer is perceived as a religious and faithful bible salesman, as he reveals “I want to devote my life to Christian service…” (4). This characterization is dramatically changed at the end of the story when Manley states “Hulga,’ he said, using the name as if he didn’t think much of it, “you ain’t so smart. I been believing in nothing ever since I was born!” (9). Manley is in fact a rebel, a stealer, and his name is even an alias. The Misfit who is also built as a stereotype throughout the story is considered an escaped convict and killer, revealed as the Grandmother states, "Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it” (567). This introduction of the Misfit is read at the beginning of the story, where it also foreshadows to a confrontation further on. The Misfit turns out to be a polite and a thoughtful person, who was accused for something he has no memory of. The Misfit might of been falsely indicted for which would make sense, however, his actions contradict what he says. It is likely that the Misfit by not remembering is a symptom of him feeling he hasn’t done anything wrong or simply doesn’t think it’s that …show more content…
Along with differences how the Misfit and Manley Pointer express themselves at the end of each story. The main focus in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is redemption, where as “Good Country People” is mostly about the antagonism of disbelief and a start towards redemption. Even though with these differences both act as excellent lessons of redemption and the desolation of life when it come to believing in