Use the thoughts and questions below as a way to get started on your posting. You can choose one of the stories to write on, or you can compare and contrast the humor, tone, themes, or overall approaches of each.

Some Thoughts on “Good Country People”

There’s no denying that Hulga is physically handicapped, but her pride and smugness turn out to be worse handicaps than her physical problems. Her arrogance is only punctured after “Manley” persuades her to become vulnerable. In this case and in general, how is pride a handicap?

O’Connor has said that her stories are largely about redemption. Consider O’Connor’s statement that “[t]he action of grace is territory held largely by the devil.” (In other words, when “bad things happen to good people,” we sometimes are inspired to change for the better.) Relate the plot of “Good Country People” to the concept of redemption. Do you think the redemption Hulga needs is more spiritual or psychological? Do you think she’s likely to find redemption after this encounter with Manley? Is Manley the agent, i.e. the “active cause,” of redemption? Or do you think the story can’t be explained so neatly? (This is fine with me!) Make sure you’re clear on the terms grace and redemption.

There is obviously some humor here, but what kind of humor is this?

How do you relate to the ending of the story?