Mother Figures In Flannery O Connor's Good Country People

A sense of self is something Francie Nolan lacks in Brooklyn, New York. It is not because of a lack of love or female influence; she is impacted by the desires of females who have no opportunities in life because they are female. As Francie is about to graduate her teacher Miss Gardner advises her to burn her words about “poverty starvation and drunkenness” as they are “ugly subjects.” Her teacher wants her to write about the “''the true nobility of man'' and stick within the code of conduct. She goes on to explain that one does not write about the unspeakable aspects of society (Smith 315).

Ms. Johnson didn't have an education, yet she knew the value of the quilts and she didn’t let a few words from Dee change her decision of giving the quilts to Maggie. Dee leaves her mother’s house quite upset and tells her sister, “You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know it” (Walker 12).

Mama knew that Maggie feared her sister, because as Dee arrived at their home “Maggie attempts to make a dash for the house, in her shuffling way, but I stay her with my hand. (151)” Maggie is used to Dee getting everything while she stood back

Johnson refuses to give the quilts to Wangero, one wonders if it was because she hated her daughter over the rejection of the family heritage, because she had found success, or if her daughter was an unlikeable character from the start. Was there a jealousy that her older daughter had found success and confidence when she would never know any, was she jealous of the confidence her daughter displayed by saying she did not have to live under the old ways anymore, or was she favoring Maggie over Wangero, since Maggie was flawed like herself? No matter whether one sides with Mrs. Johnson and Maggie on the value of the quilts, or with Wangero, the obvious schism is clear. Where one party values them because of the family connection, the other rejects that connection because it was born out of oppression and

He learns that Judy is married with children, but not happily. Her husband runs around all day as Judy stays at home with the children. Many readers find irony in the ending because no one would expect a girl like Judy to stay at home all day. Judy was the girl that always went out with the fanciest people and materials. Many would also agree that because Judy only cared for money, was cruel to Dexter, and her selfishness, lead her to this despairing

The characters in Of Mice and Men all have original and unique characteristics inside of them, but no matter how different, they all have the same reactions of giving up when thinking about dreams. The main characters George and Lennie, recently unemployed migrant workers, move to a new ranch for work. Thrown into a cruel, misshapen life that doesn’t end well for the majority of characters, George and Lennie find themselves in a dilemma that seems all too familiar. John Steinbeck uses the characters in Of Mice and Men to show that dreams are fragile and they need friends to support them.

Kate the Great Literary Analysis In the short story Kate the Great by Meg Cabot, Jenny proves that you should stand up for yourself. Jenny had so many hopes for her first babysitting job but it all changes because of her former friend Kate. Kate and Jenny were friends in middle school, but it all changes when the reach high school. So one day, Jenny received an opportunity to babysit the Weinmanns.

She cannot bear the fact that something did not go how she wanted it to. She is not remorseful about the way she treats her family, and it is clear her happiness is more important than being a sensible person with emotions. As she left, Maggie finally cracked a smile, a sign of peaceful rejoice of Dee’s departure. It is unfair the way Dee has always alienated her family, and it is uncertain where she gets her conceited attitude from. In essence, Alice Walker displayed Dee Johnson as careless, vain and selfish.

A few characters that carry this linkage include Glynese, Carramae, Mrs. Freeman, Mrs. Hopewell, Manley Pointe and Joy (Hulga). The names O’Conner gave to each character are not just simple titles but as well give a deeper meaning of her short story. For example Mrs. Freeman has two daughters named Glynese and Carramae who are brought into the story as indirect characters though play an important role towards Joy’s life. In Hulga’s world they are known as Glycerin and Caramel. “Glynese, a redheaded eighteen year old with many admirers” (O’Conner 168), seems to bother Hulga in a way because she is young and has a great ability to grab the attention of males, a factored not greatly possessed by Hulga’s part.

The overall theme of the short story, Abuela Invents the Zero, is appreciate your family with respect. One example is when Connie's grandmother comes to visit, she does not want to be seen around her because she is embarrassed by the way she dresses and acts. This could make her grandmother feel unwelcomed by her granddaughter. This tells me that Connie is afraid people would see her differently around her grandma and she is going to avoid her as much as she can. When her grandma walks in the door, Connie refers to her as “the old lady”.

The physical impairments of Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People" illustrate a deeper meaning of Joy-Hulga's handicaps. Joy-Hulga's heart condition, artificial leg and poor eyesight symbolize her inner impairments of emotion, intellect and spiritual capabilities. By including these impairments, it shows how Joy-Hulga really is as a person and the rationality behind what she believes in. The heart condition and artificial leg symbolize the inner emotional detachment she has to her family and herself. Mrs. Hopewell describes Joy-Hulga as "bloated, rude and squint-eyed" and even despite these characteristics, Joy-Hulga's mother still continues to show her love and compassion (O'Connor 558).

Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor has many instances pertaining to the theme of Identity and morals. Mrs. Hopewell and Joy believe they are better than everyone else. However, Joy changed her name to Hulga in order to shape her identity because of her leg. She feels like Joy is a beautiful name but see herself as ugly Hulga. Since Hulga has a wooden leg, “Mrs. Hopewell thought of her as a child though she was thirty-two years old and highly educated” (O’Connor 1) Even though Hulga has gone out and become independent in a sense, Mrs. Hopewell thinks Hulga will never lead a normal life and therefore considers her a child.

The story “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” written by Katherine Anne Porter starts out with an eighty year old woman named Granny Weatherall in a hospital bed disputing with her doctor whom she thinks is childish. Doctor Harry was telling her to stay in bed , there she would gain strength, as he touched her forehead then cheek. As a consequence She reminds the doctor that she has lived through further more serious illnesses before he was even born. Granny Weatherall would reply with “Leave a woman alone. I’ll call you when I demand you.”