NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Old vs New South In Flannery Oconnor's stories, A Good Man is Hard to Find and Good Country People, a change from the old south to the new south is quite evident. OConnor uses these stories to show the differences between the old and new south and to voice her disapproval as to what the south was becoming. What upset OConnor about the new south can be shown by carefully examining and interpreting these stories. In the story A Good Man is Hard to Find, OConnor uses many different characters as representatives of different generations in the same family and uses these generations as examples of the change from the old to the new south. OConnor uses the main character of the grandmother to represent what the south once was.
One of the characteristics of the old south that the grandmother displays, is the need to keep herself looking like a lady. For instance, OConnor writes: Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady. (OConnor 11) By giving the grandmother the great need to be dressed like a lady, OConnor makes this character a throwback to a time of white gloves, flowered hats, and women always wearing dresses. Situations like this firmly place the grandmother in a very old south role. Contrary to the role of the grandmother, OConnor uses the person she recognizes as the childrens mother to show what the south was becoming: Bailey didnt look up from his reading so she wheeled around then and faced the childrens mother, a young woman in slacks, whose face was as broad and innocent as a cabbage and was tied around with a green head-kerchief that had two points on the top like rabbits ears. (OConnor 9) The main characteristics of the new south are shown in the dress of the childrens mother.
A lady of the old south would never wear slacks and tie her hair up in a head-kerchief and go out in public. Under an old south mentality these actions would be considered very uneasy like. OConnor reveals her own dissatisfaction for this new south character in the way that she describes the childrens mother. First, OConnor only refers to her as the childrens mother, by not giving this character a name OConnor shows some amount of contempt for her. Second, OConnor uses the description of a cabbage and a rabbit when describing the childrens mother. The use of such unflattering terms is another way that OConnor shows contempt for the new south.
Finally, the tone of the language that OConnor uses when talking about the childrens mother must be examined. For example, the grandmother wheeled around to face the childrens mother. The use of the verb wheeled con notates a negative meaning in the way that the grandmother looked at the childrens mother. OConnor makes it sound as if the grandmother could have killed the childrens mother just by turning to face her.
The third generation in A Good Man is Hard to Find is represented by the two children John Wesley and June Star. OConnor basically characterizes these two children as nothing more than selfish brats. For example, OConnor writes: When there was nothing else to do they played a game by choosing a cloud and making the other guess what shape it suggested. John Wesley took one the shape of a cow and June Star guessed a cow and John Wesley said, no, a automobile, and June Star said he didnt play fair, and they began to slap each other over the grandmother. (OConnor 1 Oconnor's characterization of the children as brats further reinforces her disapproval of the new south.
OConnor makes these characters so self destructive that it seems impossible for them to survive. This characterization also shows the lack of hope that OConnor felt for the south. OConnor gives the children no hope for the future, thus no future. In the story Good Country People OConnor uses the roles of a mother and her daughter to represent the differences in the old and new south.
The representative of the old south in this story is the mother Mrs. Hopewell. In order to portray the old south in Mrs. Hopewell, OConnor writes: Mrs. Hopewell could not understand deliberate rudeness, although she lived with it, and she felt she had always to overflow with hospitality to make up for Joys lack of courtesy (OConnor 180). Mrs.
Hopewell's intense display of politeness is another way that OConnor instills her character with a very old south mentality. A much different role is played by the daughter Hulga [Joy]. Several traits of Hulga's show how OConnor instills her with ideas of the new south. When Hulga stumped into the kitchen in the morning (she could walk without making the awful noise but she made it Mrs. Hopewell was certain because it was ugly sounding), she glanced at them and did not speak (OConnor 174). A lady with any regard for old south manners would never stump around when walking and even if she had to stump around she would at least apologize for her actions.
Another trait that separates Hulga from the old south is the fact that she has a college degree. In the time the story was set not many women had college degrees. Mrs. Hopewell thought it was nice for girls to go to school to have a good time but Joy [Hulga] had gone through' (OConnor 175). For Hulga to actually get a college degree just reinforces her place in the new south. Another way that OConnor shows her disapproval for the new south is when Hulga changes her name from Joy to Hulga.
The beautiful sounding name Joy represents the old south and the name change symbolizes a change from the old to the new south. Miss OConnor gives her the very ugly sounding name Hulga to represent a new south that she really does not care for. OConnor expands on her dissatisfaction for this character through the word usage she uses when describing Hulga. It was said that Hulga stumped around the house even though she really didnt need to. The verb stumped once again draws up a negative meaning. Since Hulga is the character that represents the old south in the story and since OConnor has portrayed her in a very dark manner, it can be assumed that OConnor does harbor a good deal of ill feelings towards the new south.
Flannery OConnor uses many different ideas to show change between the two souths. In both stories she uses completely different characters to show the same theories. By interpreting the descriptions of Oconnor's characters and by analyzing the tone that she takes when dealing with the characters a strong sense of disapproval for the new south can be seen. What is very ironic is the fact that even though Miss OConnor would be considered a member of the new south, mainly because she had a college degree, she still expressed a strong amount of ill feelings for the new south in her writing.
Free research essays on topics related to: good country people, john wesley, man is hard to find, flannery oconnor, good man is hard
Research essay sample on Good Country People Good Man Is Hard
