1. Flannery O’Connor’s
“Good Country People”
 Author Profile:
 Born March 25, 1925 in Savannah, Georgia
 Grew up in Catholic family that had lived in the
South for generations
 Died at age of 39 of lupus, the same disease her
father died of
 Considered a Southern Gothic author

2. Southern Gothic Literature
 A genre of literature, unique to American literature
 Relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the
plot
 Explores social issues and reveals the cultural character of the
American South
 Avoids perpetuating Antebellum (pre-Civil War) stereotypes
like the Southern belle, the contented slave, or the righteous
Christian preacher
 Stories often about misfits and fanatics (grotesque
characters) from the American South and often address
issues of violence and spiritual faith

3. O’Connor’s Use of
The Grotesque
 Situations, places, or characters that possess
creepy qualities, typically racial bigotry and
excessive arrogance – but enough good traits
that readers find themselves interested
nevertheless.
 O’Connor says, “Anything that comes out of the
South is going to be called grotesque by the
northern reader, unless it is grotesque, in which
case it is going to be called realistic.”

4. O’Connor: A
Southern Gothic Author
 Taking her catholic background VERY seriously,
O’Connor describes her literature as stories about
original sin. Although she wanted to teach her faith, she
did not want to be didactic. She chose this genre as a
means of entertaining and persuading.
 She writes about moments in which grace, usually in the
form of violence, descends on her comical characters,
sometimes opening their eyes to an awful realization,
sometimes killing them.
 O’Connor felt that a violent shock was necessary to
bring both her characters and her readers to an
awareness of the powerful reality of spirituality.

5. Protagonist vs. Antagonist
 Protagonist – often perceived as the hero, he is the main
character in fiction or drama. He is, however, NOT ALWAYS
the “good guy.”
 Anti-hero –A central character in a work of literature who
lacks traditional heroic qualities such as courage, physical
prowess, integrity. Anti-heroes typically distrust conventional
values and generally feel helpless in a world over which they
have no control. Although they’re not morally ideal, readers
often want them to succeed and empathize with them.
 Antagonist – often perceived as the villain, he is the character
or force that blocks the protagonist. (Who/What is Joy-
Hulga’s antagonist at this point?)

6. O’Connor’s Protagonist as
Logical Positivist / Atheist
 Logical Positivism: a theory that discounts
theology (religion) and primarily focuses on
science.
 Knowledge is based on logic and grounded in
observable facts.

7. Or is she a Nihilist?
 Nihilism: a philosophical position which says
that the world is without meaning, purpose,
truth, or value.
 Nihilists generally argue that there is no proof of
a higher ruler or creator, a “true morality” does
not exist; therefore, life has no truth, and no
action can be preferable to any other.

8. Some additional terms
 Flashback: An interruption of a work’s chronology to describe or
present an incident that occurred prior to the main time frame of
a work’s action.
 Pathos: a quality of a story’s action that stimulates the audience
to feel pity for a character. Pathos is always an aspect of tragedy,
but is this tale tragic? Pathos may also be present in comedy, so
is this tale satirical?
 Allegory: A symbolic narrative in which the details imply a
secondary meaning. The characters often represent moral
qualities. To recognize allegory, we must “read between the
lines” and analyze the author’s symbols.