A Good Man is Hard to Find”: Annotated Bibliography

Good Country People (A good man is hard to find, 1955); review

‘Good Country People’ is comes out as an ironic title that Flannery O’Connor uses a part of the collection of short stories dubbed ‘A good man is hard to find.’ Thus from the overall theme in the short stories depicting the difficulty of finding a good man in the region, the title of ‘Good Country People’ and the story within successfully captures the ironical representation of the perceived good man. In the story, the semblance of a good man comes in the image of a bible salesman named Manley Pointer. In the view of good men, particularly in terms of character and expectations of personality, apparently, nothing is better than a bible salesman, whose character and devotion to Christianity is supposed to create a direction in his life as he leads by the example of the bible. The bible salesman also has the name Manly Pointer, an allusion to his character of an individual who can point the other characters to the personality of a perceived good man. Mrs Hopewell’s daughter Joy, who has changed her name to Hulga in rebellion thinks about seducing the ‘good’ bible salesman and agrees to a date with him. After the date, she comes to learn that the bible salesman is a nihilistic atheist, whose perversion for fun is to take prostheses from disables people. I chose the story because it captures the reality of life in which people may not turn out to be who they claim to be in life. The refreshing perspective is that the story captures human nature. It explores the deception in human nature as shown in the character of Manly Pointer who on the surface appears to be a good man, while his actions and beliefs show the opposite. In the exploration of human nature, the story also captures the foolishness of stereotypes, in which though Joy is educated, she cannot discern the deception of the man she sets out to harm, and who it turns out, causes her pain.

Cofer, Jordan, “Flannery O’Connor’s Role in Popular Culture: A Review Essay” Southern Quarterly; Hattiesburg Vol. 47, Iss. 2, (Winter 2010): 140-157,171

‘A good man is hard to find’ is a 1955 short story collection with the story of ‘Good Country People.’ The analysis of Cofer, Jordan, in her essay done over a century later, focuses on Flannery O’Connor, who is the author of the main story under consideration. Understanding the author of a story, and her background offers perspective to an analysis that readers can utilize in establishing meaning and context. Often, literature is a reflection and mirror to society. The creators of literature thus infuse elements of themselves and their society in different pieces of literature. From an advanced collection of short stories, the author embodies much of her life and her society within the collection by capturing and exploring different aspects within the community. The purpose of the essay by Jordan is to establish the role of Flannery O’Connor in popular culture, and the best place to begin the analysis is from her stories which revolve around different matters in society including religion. In the essay, the author takes the reader into the life of Flannery O’Connor, whom she terms as a pop culture idol. The essay examines her rural home of Georgia, and its influence on her literature, in addition to her views on religion and life. From the analysis, it is thus clear the involvement of Flannery O’Connor’s life in her literature, which she not only used to explore her society but also to reveal herself to her audience. The essay is relevant in the study because it provides an overview of all the short stories in the book, in addition to their impact on the life of the author. The stories reveal much about the author, her upbringing and her views. In using the analysis, it is thus possible to create a context of understanding the in-depth application of the story ‘Good Country People’ through its reflection on the views of the author concerning the treachery of mankind, as well as the foolishness of a different faction of humans who fall victim to the deceptions of the former through their stereotypes and shallow beliefs.

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Davis, David A., “A Good Mayonnaise is Hard to Find: Flannery O’Connor and Culinary Codependency,” Southern Quarterly; Hattiesburg Vol. 56, Iss. 1, (Fall 2018): 29-41.

The review of Davis, David A., takes the title of Flannery O’Connor. It twists it to serve the agenda of his discussion on the background of the author as well as her contribution to literature. The relevance of the title in the essay comes from its examination of the life of the author Flannery O’Connor and the relationship that she had with her mother. The discussion thus focuses on the development of relationships along with their impact in the lives of the individuals within the story. The use of the word Mayonnaise brings into consideration the element of food and its value in society. From the analysis, the author thus creates the impression that to food lovers, who include Flannery O’Connor, the author; relationships are as meaningful as food. Finding a good match is therefore critical. Using the perspective of Davis, David A. relationships are central to human existence. He examines a core relationship in a family setting which is the relationship between a mother and her daughter often, according to the analysis, the relationship between a mother and her daughter is rife with hostile and tolerance in a combination that results in two individuals walking a fine line of relating with each other. Despite being a man, the author comprehends the mother-daughter relationship and places it in the context of the story by Flannery O’Connor, ‘A good man is hard to find.’ In the story, the relationship between Mrs Hopewell and her daughter Joy is a reflection of the mother and daughter relationship in society. Thus, the analysis is useful in establishing the background of the story, ‘A good man is hard to find,’ and placing the story within the context of relationships and society, which bring out the impacts of such associations to the lives of the individuals in the story with an ultimate reflection of life in the society. The analysis follows through with the idea of irony through its representation of a perceivably hostile mother-daughter relationship that is also full of love and tolerance. The relationship cannot be understood from a single perspective, given its intricate design and impact.

Lamar, Nisly, L., “Idolizing O’Connor: Tim Gautreaux’s Tribute to Flannery O’Connor,” Southern Quarterly; Hattiesburg Vol. 50, Iss. 2, (Winter 2013): 31-48,156.

The elaborate analysis of Flannery O’Connor by her fan Tim Gautreaux forms the foundation of the third-party analysis in which through the analysis of the work of another, Lamar, Nisly, L captures the life of the central author in the short stories. The analysis follows one of the stories in O’Connor’s short story collection of ‘idols’ and captures the impact of public figures in the lives of their adoring fans. The aspect that brings out the article is the focus on the life of O’Connor using adoring terms that highlight her as a critical individual in the field of literature. The article is thus relevant because it provides the overview of the central author, O’Connor, whose life and contribution to literature has been inspirational to several individuals to the point of her becoming an object of the analysis. The analysis captures her life, her beliefs, as well as her culture and religion. The review is a parody of the short story ‘idol’ as the author extends the work of his idol in an analysis that reflects devotion and admiration. From the articles, it is clear that understanding an individual, especially their positive nature, takes the framework of their admirers who reflect their positive attributes. Thus, the need to infuse the attributes of O’Connor into her stories makes the article important in the analysis. The understanding of the aspects surrounding O’Connor as an individual brings into perspective the knowledge of her work. The analysis also creates a foundation upon which the readers can conceptualize her text by understanding the origin in its assertion and meaning to life and society. The meaning in every text, from the perspective is derived from understanding the author and their views.