Flannery O’Connor is an writer that, until now, I had no cognition of. Her attack and sequence of events described in her narratives is fascinating. She is now one of my new favourite writers. In both of the short narratives, “ Good State Peoples ” and “ A Good Man is Difficult to Find ” , O’Connor ‘s characters experience a fluctuation of humbling minutes or “ minutes of grace ” as described by O’Connor. I believe that O’Connor is seeking to convey the contrast and similarities of supporter and adversary characters in her narratives. The relationships between Hulga and Manley Pointer and The Grandmother and The Misfit suggest that we all seek significance or intent in our life. Through spiritual strong belief or spiritualty, we hypocritically try to warrant who we are or why we do what we do. We all struggle to happen firm religion. Basically no 1 is perfect and a peculiarly in these two narratives, a supporter could stop up being the adversary and frailty versa.
First, in O’Connor ‘s “ A Good Man is Difficult to Find ” , the grandma is perceived to be supporter. She considers herself moral and better than others because she is a “ lady ” . She passes judgement on the kids ‘s female parent for non going to a topographic point that would let the kids to “ be wide ” . She passes judgement on Mr. Wesley for non holding more respect for Georgia. She feels that being a lady is the most of import feature. The Misfit, nevertheless, is clearly defined as the adversary. With his violent behaviour, he may non see himself to be the typical moral human-being, but ever follows his ain moral codification.
The important difference is that the Grandmother clearly states decidedly that she is morally superior to everyone, yet she lies to the kids about the secret panel, and does n’t allow it be known that she made a error about the location of the house. She does non take the clip to reflect on her life ‘s actions or how she communicates her beliefs or ethical motives to others. The Grandmother does non plead to salvage the lives of any of her household members ; she merely pleads for her ain life. The Grandmother ‘s humbleness and “ minute of grace ” came to go through when she saw The Misfit ‘s face and eyes begin to well-up with cryings. She says to him, “ Why you ‘re one of my babes. You ‘re one of my ain kids. ” Subsequently, The Misfit shoots her.
The Misfit, on the other manus, invariably inquiries his intent in the universe with each discourtesy he commits. Because of the inquiries he asks about his life, the behaviour he exhibits and if there is a higher power, he becomes more self-conscious. He is more true and consistent to himself. He states, “ I found out the offense do n’t count. You can make one thing or you can make another, kill a adult male or take a tyre off his auto, because Oklahoman or subsequently you ‘re traveling to bury what it was you done and merely be punished for it. ”
Merely when the Grandmother is confronting decease does she acknowledge she is imperfect merely like everyone else. The Misfit understands that what he had done or will make is non right, but it gives his life absolute significance. Consequently, because of the disclosures as it pertains to the Grandmother, an false supporter, I classify her as an adversary comparable to that of The Misfit. O’Connor described the Misfit as a “ prophesier gone incorrect, ” and if he had used his moral codification towards a less violent life style, he could hold been considered a true leader.
Second, in “ Good State Peoples ” Hulga is portrayed to be the adversary and Manley Pointer is the supporter. This portraiture of this narrative makes it easier to render a gut premise of the characters and the purposes of Manley right from the beginning. This narrative is more relatable for me because it brings up trust issues with those stand foring religion on behalf of God or Jesus. There are so many people in this universe who use or take the Lord ‘s name in vena. It is merely natural that human-beings are invariably seeking some type of religion or religious counsel and in making so, can sometimes go naA?ve to what is existent.
Hulga is a 32 twelvemonth old atheist with a Ph.D. in Philosophy, and a wooden leg that replaced a leg that was shot off in a hunting accident when she was ten. She has an chesty genius to her as a consequence of her instruction. Her positions about faith and spiritualty are askew regardless of her instruction. She has neither street smarts nor common sense when it comes to societal relationships outside of her place environment. Hulga strives to do every circumstance or conversation relevant to her book cognition, which in bend justifies her manner of thought.
In contrast, Manley Pointer is an alleged Bible salesman. He comes off as charming and a adult male of God who wants to distribute the word. That was a ruddy flag for me. In add-on to distributing the word of God, he wanted to do money by selling the Bibles and warranting the demand for money to populate on the route and go on on his religious journey. His debonair personality prevails gulling everyone, later earns him an invitation to dinner in add-on to a picnic day of the month with Hulga.
Hulga imagines with her superior head and instruction that she will be in control of the events that may take topographic point during her day of the month with Manley. She feels that she will be able to score Manley. In fact, after Hulga and Manly have climbed into the barn loft, Manley, who at this point I have identified as a con creative person, is able to score Hulga. He tells Hulga that he may decease and he professes his unconditioned love for her and he convinced her to state him that she loved him. Then he convinces her to allow down her guard and grant him entree to her most personal countries, which I thought was her virginity, but in fact was her wooden leg ( I did non see that coming. ) . To boot, when he opens up his Bible, alternatively of happening the word of God, there are adult playing cards, preventives and a flask of whisky. I had a gut feeling about the Bible from the beginning because he ne’er opened it up for mention.
The narrative concludes instead suddenly when Manley tells Hulga, “ you ai n’t so smart. I been believing in nil of all time since I was born! ” Then Manley bargains Hulga ‘s leg and mount down the ladder. It is at this point where humbleness for Hulga has revealed itself and she experiences her “ minute of grace ” . She is left entirely in the loft of a barn wholly stunned and with no out. She feels embarrassed and exposed.
O’Connor writes “ the miss was left, sitting on the straw in the dust-covered sunshine. When she turned her churning face toward the gap, she saw his bluish figure fighting successfully over the green dotted lake. ” By Manley stealing her leg, Hulga learns about immorality, which challenges her old strong belief that “ Nothing ” is the lone significance in life.
QESTION 2: I Am a Real Male child
The definition of a adult male is difficult to clearly specify without repeating the nucleus word of “ adult male. ” One interesting fact is that in most definitions, the word adult male can be described as being in charge largely relevant to a adult male of Caucasic descent. This for me seems appropriate after reading “ The Man Who was Almost A Man. ” The scene of the narrative taking topographic point in a field, a hovel and a gun shop made me believe, “ Wow, I thought we were passed the slave epoch of literature, ” and so the interaction of characters was narrated and I understood that we were to some grade. There were still uneducated African-American ‘s working for Caucasian ‘s, but this clip they were holding insouciant conversation and acquiring paid for a existent occupation. Even though the chief character, Davey, was seventeen-years-old, in today ‘s society he would be considered a adult male. What elicited the “ aˆ¦ Almost A Man, ” phrasing, in my sentiment, were his actions towards his male parent of being scared, the deficiency of instruction he had for a seventeen-year-old, and the uneffective communicating with people displayed when he lied about what happened to the mule. He finally “ manned-up ” when he made a determination on his ain to non merely leave a topographic point that ridiculed his character, but besides to go forth his household.
Davey, the quintessential underprivileged Afro-american, is a field manus ‘s boy who, because deficiency of instruction and circumstance, has no pick but to go a field manus himself. He feels that his life is so everyday and he wants exhilaration and better milieus. I feel that at Davey ‘s age ; most male adolescents are going work forces and are still seeking to happen their topographic point in the universe. They are desiring and in demand of regard from their equals, their households, and other societal circles they might tie in with. Boys and work forces like power regard and independency and they equate peculiar objects with manhood. Owning a gun happens to be one of those objects.
Searching for a speedy manner to go a adult male, Davey focuses on the guns for sale in Joe ‘s mail-order catalogue and assumes that having a gun will earn him with the regard he deserves, and he wants to turn out to the others that he is no longer “ aˆ¦Almost A Man. ” He can visualize what his life would be like and what is household ‘s life would be like if he or his male parent owned a gun. What he did n’t understand was that the freedom and picks a individual makes in his or her life ever have some decision ; it may be good or bad. That pick will besides be a learning experience that will oblige you to do better determination, therefore maturating or you will reiterate the pick with no lesson learned, therefore non maturating.
Davey presumes that by killing person or something, it will convey fright and power into the people he wishes badly will. He believes that control will come in doing his ain determination and will convey about the alteration he is looking for. Dave has n’t made the necessary forfeits needed to justify him a adult male by the clip he possesses the gun. First of wholly, he asked his ma for the money, which he earned through working, to purchase the gun in the first topographic point. Most adults one ; make non inquire their parents to keep their money and two ; they do non acquire permission to purchase what they want with the money that they earned. Besides, most existent work forces are non afraid to confront their male parents or inquire them inquiries. When he goes out and first shoots the gun, it consequences in the decease of Jenny. Dave ‘s prevarications that he tells to cover up the decease of the mule prove that he is unprepared for the duties of maturity. Lying is an immoral quality and expressive behaviour associated with maturity.
“ Ahead the long tracks were glittering in the moonshine, stretching off, off to someplace, someplace where he could be a adult male. ” Dave ‘s sudden determination to leap on a train and blowout is the typical reaction for a male child his age ; running from his jobs as if they will travel off instead than confront the effects of his actions, confirms that he has non yet embraced the features of a adult male. Most grownups would believe through their determinations before doing a headlong determination that will determine them for the remainder of their life. Runing off, to some young person, makes them experience that now they have control of their fate and hold duties produced on their ain footings. With that Begin said, get awaying his current state of affairs made him a adult male at that point because he was able to do a speedy determination on minute ‘s notice to go forth behind people that he loved, for what he thought was a better life for him. He now was on his ain and in charge of his ain fate.
Question 3: PREMODERNISM, MODERNISM, and POSTMODERNISM
There are three described epoch ‘s of literature ; Premodernism, Modernism, and Postmodernism. I feel that it is imperative to precede and sum up each epoch to to the full understand the inquiry of depicting literary work or narratives post World War II. Harmonizing to Louis Hoffman, Ph.D. , ( 2005-2008 ) Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.postmodernpsycholgy.com, Premodernism ( Beginnings up to 1650 ‘s ) is based upon revealed cognition from important beginnings, by and large assumed to come from God or a God. In Modernism ( 1650-1950 ‘s ) two new attacks to cognizing became dominant. The first was cognizing through the senses, and the second was ground or logic. As the displacement in power moved off from the church, political relations ( authoritiess, male monarchs, etc. ) and universities ( bookmans, professors ) took over as the primary beginnings of authorization. In Postmodernism ( 1950 ‘s to current times ) alternatively of trusting on one attack to cognizing, they advocate for multiple ways of cognizing. This can include the premodern ways ( disclosure ) and modern ways ( scientific discipline & A ; ground ) , along with many other ways of cognizing such as intuition, relational, and religious.
The narratives post World War II or postmodern, all seem to associate to moralities. With each narrative that I read, all of the characters had different sentiments as to the significance of life and whether they should be judged or justice others harmonizing to their ain beliefs and actions. There are three sides to every narrative ; theirs, yours and the truth. The ways the narratives are communicated are more applicable to the societal environment I surround myself in, more blunt, reticent and voice truss. Freedom of address and civil autonomies and rights are all taken into consideration when speaking about Postmodernism literature.
The writers illustrated the world of their narratives and the characters used by portraying them in a fitting mode that I could place with. The narratives made me believe about my ain values and ethical motives and the many ways I articulate my ideas ; ‘Did I come to the decision because of what my spiritualty told me or was it what I learned through my instruction or personal experience? ” All of these ideas went through my caput when I was reading the narratives because I was forced to inquire myself, “ What would I hold done? ” or “ How would I hold felt? ” in any one of those state of affairss. I can understand the humbleness that some of the characters experienced when judging character ; it was taking a expression in the mirror and truly being honest about my beliefs whether they were morally right or non.
When seeking the existent truth, there is no room for denial or naivete, which most of the characters were either one, the other or both. Bing a human-being comes with defects and it is sometimes difficult to acknowledge guilt, being incorrect or admit to non cognizing something. Suiting in socially sometimes means that single forfeits have to be made in order to accomplish the regard and recognition sought for self-realization. While recommending and seting to being true to character and going an single reignites self-awareness and adulthood.
In Postmodernism, the communicating degree is more receptive and blunt. The characters are more bewitching because the guidelines and the regulations are at the writer ‘s discretion. There is no vacillation by the writer to be unafraid, express spiritual political orientations, or illustrate force. All signifiers of composing are expected and accepted. There is a pick to either read it or take another writer, because there are so many, to indulge in and feed the psyche. The picks postmodernism of readings are eternal. I do believe that now, due to all of the events the universe has experienced and the eternal surveies about faith being the reply to all things good or bad, or maintaining religion in times of demand and non having what is felt to be the right reply, the being of God versus experience and instruction are all relevant when doing determinations that are life changing.
Postmodernism includes personal exposure, ego subject and sound principle along with many other ways of cognizing what is said to be true such as church and educational intuitions, and spiritual beliefs. Declaring a specific faith is about disused. Spirituality has now become the more recognized version of believing in a higher power or important figure. Ethical motives are non what they used to be and at some point we became immoral and will go on to populate by our ain moral codification, criterions and values instead than that of person else ‘s.
