Baptism in "Good Country People"

Book Review # 117396

English > Analysis
Literature > American

An analysis of the theme of baptism in Flannery O' Connor's "Good Country People".

1,219 words () | 4 sources | APA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how in her novels and short stories, Flannery O' Connor is known for applying the idea of baptism into her central action. Her plots are character-driven and circle around the moment when a character is suddenly changed, often by something imperceptibly small. In particular, the paper looks at how in "Good Country People" one of the main characters experiences a baptism and is forever changed by that moment and how the character of Hulga eventually undergoes a baptism by fire and is shaken into the reality of who she really is.

From the Paper:

""Good Country People" takes place in a rural countryside and is the portrait of Mrs. Hopewell and her thirty-two year old daughter Joy. Eternally hopeful and optimistic, Mrs. Hopewell believes that "good country people are the salt of the earth,"(O' Connor 1977) but her daughter Joy is her opposite. Joy is embittered by her physical handicap which she has made up for in intellectual achievement. She feels that her academic achievement makes her superior to the uneducated country people and treats those around her impolitely, often looking "at nice young men as if she could smell their stupidity,"(O' Connor 1977). In her resentfulness, Joy even had her name officially changed to Hulga which she chose "on the basis of its ugly sound,"(O' Connor 1977) and it is as Hulga that she experiences a symbolic baptism by fire that forever changes her perception of herself."

Sample of Sources Used:

"baptism." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 26 Feb. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/baptism>.
(2000). Holy Bible, Edition: King James Version. New York: Oxford University Press, USA.
Harper, D. (N.D.) Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved February 28, 2008, from www.etymonline.com website: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=b&p=2
O' Connor, F. (1977). "Good Country People." Good Men Are Hard to Find. San Diego: Harcourt.

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APA Citation:

Baptism in "Good Country People" (2012, January 15). Retrieved February 10, 2012, from http://www.academon.com/Book-Review-Baptism-in-Good-Country-People/117396