DIS+3


 * DIS 3**


 * What are your impressions of Flannery O'Connor? What do you like? What do you dislike? Why?**

BK: I've never read anything by Flannery O'Connor before, but I'd heard about the kind of dark comical twist her stories seemed to have. I loved her characterization throughout this story, specifically of Joy/Hulga. She is characterized as brilliant and academically superior to the other characters in the story, yet she is naive to the feelings and thoughts of those around her. Hulga has a Phd, yet really has a very narrow perception of the world around her. I love how O'Connor flawlessly develops this narcissistic character and it really makes this story enjoyable and funny. I'm not entirely sure what I dislike about this story, I think I need to give it another good read before I draw any more conclusions. All together, I enjoyed entering into the world of Flannery O'Connor and can't wait to continue exploring her writing and looking further into the Christian themes throughout.

GG: Some are thrown by her rather "gothic" sensibility, yet there is both humor, albeit dark, and also brightly redemptive about her stories and characters. Here is God's grace in all of this? Can you find it?

EM: As I began reading Flannery O'Connor, I was at first surprised by her unique thoughts and eccentric plot line. The only way that I can describe her characters is by saying that they are raw--they are honest and representative of mankind. One would suspect the setting to make way for a simple and pleasant tale, but the only purpose of this setting is to enhance the bizarre plot, the complex charactery, and provide a background for the characters' skewed thoughts and often hypocrisy. I like that O'Connor is honest and stays true to her writing style. She does not try to be something that she is not, and because she is an excellent writer, her integrity creates a very intriguing story that appeals to many different kinds of readers. While O'Connor's veracity is a redeeming quality of her writing, it is often rather shocking and just plain weird--which will definitely take some getting used to, as I am not exactly used to different kinds of literature. I am definitely with Breanna on how interesting the contrasting characteristics of Hulga are, and I would like to expand on that thought by adding that this story is filled with contrasting themes and interesting dynamics--Mrs. Hopewell believes she has the right idea about what a "good country man" is, but in reality she has extremely skewed values and allows herself to be tricked by the appearance of another man. Hulga thinks she has everything right and can get by on her own, but in the end she is left hopeless and stripped of any real independence.

GG: THe rawness is important. O'Connor believed that that is the "real world" where God is working hourly.Can you see how the story and the characters are riddled with irony?

LD:

I agree with Breanna in that I was not expecting Flannery O’Connor’s writing to be so funny! I guess I was expecting a serious, very religious piece of literature, but I enjoyed reading this story. Flannery O’Connor has pertinence in her writing. Her characters were not pretentious, but common. I could pin people that I know to the personalities of Hulga or Mrs. Hopewell. This trait is not common in many older works of literature. O'Connor wrote in a way that attached reader's to the characters. Her dark twisted sense of humor brought out the humanity and depth in her characters. I also agree with Eleanor that O’Connor’s dark and “raw” plotlines were intriguing and refreshing. This story, for me, was captivating and truly unique. I am excited to read this story once more and read more of her stories.

GG: What a great discovery: Faith and spirit and prayer can be funny! She wants us to laugh at these oddly constructed characters and in so doing find ourselves in them. I have often said that God must have a great sense of humor; He created me!

JR: O’Connor has a very unique style of writing. While reading the story, I was surprised to see that her writing recounted a series of daily events which resulted in a didactic and engaging plot. I found her story quite intriguing and I enjoy her writing style because her characters are simple and few characteristics of them are withheld from the reader. This leaves much less room for the reader to guess at the purpose of the characters which emphasizes a clean and unencumbered plot. The narrative unfolded in a rather unpredictable fashion. I expected Hulga to fall in love with the “good old country boy” but she was instead blindsided by his scam to deprive her of her faith, dignity, and leg. The dramatic element of deception is captivating and I am looking forward to reading more of her stories. While reading, I also noticed that O’Connor withholds some key information about her characters in order to strengthen the twist she sneaks into the plot. For instance, the reader is initially led on to believe that the Bible salesman is innocent and true “good country folk.” As the narrative unfolds, O’Connor reveals that he is deceptive, conniving, and anything but “Chrustian.” I also liked the simple yet revealing connotations held within the names of a few of the characters. Mrs. Hopewell’s name reveals that she has many expectations and hopes that her daughter will find her way in life whether that means meeting a nice young man or finding faith. Mrs. Freeman is an independent woman who has a strong friendship with Mrs. Hopewell. Joy’s name is, however, quite deceiving because she hardly attempts to find joy in her life and finds herself in joyless situations. Overall, there is a bit of wit and irony that is quite attractive in O’Connor’s short stories. I am excited to read more in this class!

GG: L: You do seem intrigued by the names!