Mr Guziac And Other Displaced Persons example essay topic

Flannery O'Connor's short story collection A Good Man is Hard to Find has many elements of a southern gothic work. Images of ancient castles with sliding panels create suspicious themes and settings that lead the readers into the dark and gloomy world of the southern United States. With all of the violence, horror, and dismal surroundings presented in O'Connor's stories there is too a moral message given. Later gothic work did not always explain horror like this, holding little moral value to contrast their grotesque images (notes, November 1). O'Connor's stories do include a strong moral element, frequently in the form of religious explanations. The characters within A Good Man is Hard to Find are usually ignorant and self-satisfying people, who come across 'the grotesque' and are shocked into self-realization, no longer self-satisfied.

These grotesque elements are usually the divine in disguise forcing the characters into introspection. In a letter Flannery O'Connor wrote she stated: 'You have found Christ when you are concerned with other people's suffering and not your own. ' In this quotation we can see the moral message O'Connor was attempting to convey in her stories, and through further analysis of the work this fact can be more clearly illustrated. In the first story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, O'Connor's moral message is clearly presented. The grandmother protagonist in the story is very self-serving. She demands constant attention (although rarely getting it) and stubborn in the fact that her wishes must be carried out.

She only wants to go to Tennessee to see old connections (O'Connor, pg. 1). The grandmother cannot move away from past and is at the same time confused by accuracy of past events. On the trip a road stop seems very suggestive of a hellish place: barbecue fires, Red Sammy, etc (O'Connor, pg. 6). The grandmother's lack of character judging is pointed out in this scene. She believes that Red Sammy is a good man because he relates to her old fashioned values (she thinks). Sammy is surprised at this and exclaims, 'Yes'm, I suppose so,' his unsureness makes the reader question Sammy's character.

What is more telling is what the waitress says while bringing the food: 'It isn't a soul in this green world of God's that you can trust... I don't count nobody out on that, not nobody (O'Connor, pg. 8). ' While speaking this last line the waitress looks directly at Sammy, making him angry / uncomfortable. If Sammy is not a good man is he evil? Could he represent Satan, Red Sammy is a fitting parallel name. Sammy then states that 'a good man is hard to find.

' Could this be forewarning to the grandmother's confused values of what is right or wrong (good or bad)? Soon the family is on their way again but the grandmother forces her way by using the children. Getting the kids exited enough to annoy their father so much that he breaks down and changes the route and seeks out the old gothic house. We soon learn that the grandmother has made a geographical mistake thinking Georgia for Tennessee. Her ignorance starts a chain of events which will result in all their deaths: Bringing the cat along even though she knew it wold not be allowed, forcing her will even when unsure if it was right (O'Connor, 2, 11). The grandmother's uncertainty of geography could be read as mirroring her spiritual uncertainty.

After the car crashes we see that the grandmother is self-serving. She uses gender roles ('you wouldn't shoot a woman') and religious images to try and save herself and to make the Misfit to look well upon her (O'Connor, 14-19). This plea seems very self-serving. Why not ask- 'you wouldn't shoot a family, would you?' The argument of religion as a reason to be good is rejected by the Misfit (O'Connor, 21).

By dismissing Christ's history the Misfit also rejects the grandmother's self-serving values. When death is imminent the grandmother has a revelation and is prepared to embrace the Misfit and possibly true spirituality (not the self-serving kind). Grandmother now looks on the Misfit without class or social order, but in her sole belief of the goodness in all men. Although, this could all be a ploy to save herself? After rejecting the grandmother's embrace and shooting her we see that the Misfit has taught her real goodness. The grandmother learns a moral lesson from the Misfit, who has rejected her morals.

This quotation shows the grandmothers appearance after her death: 'the grandmother who half sat in a puddle of blood with her legs crossed under her like a child's and her face smiling up at the cloudless sky (O'Connor, 22). ' This transformation into an innocent childlike state illustrates how the Misfit has given her a fresh start or a rebirth, as Jesus did. Is the misfit representative of Jesus? The grandmother seems to think so. If we look at the dialogue more closely we can see that the grandmother refers to the Misfit as Jesus many times unintentionally (O'Connor, 20 21). 'Jesus... you " ve got good blood, Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady'.

Other examples of the Misfit as a god are in his power to dictate whom lives or dies. He is the leader of the gang and what he says goes (in control verses grandmother, who has lost what little control she had). Taking no pleasure in killing is yet another godly trait. We can see in this quotation that the Misfit takes no pleasure in his 'duties. ' 'It's no real pleasure in life (O'Connor, pg. 22). ' If the Misfit really is indeed a representation of Christ than we can see that he has made the grandmother realize her perceptions of goodness and her self-centered behavior was wrong.

By returning her to the state of a child the Misfit has given her a sort of rebirth and a new fresh outlook on life. In death the grandmother has learned these things and has achieved salvation through the barrel of the Misfit's gun. O'Connor's The Artificial Nigger is yet another story in which the main characters are changed by an experience that alters their self -perception. This change comes as a result from a religious experience that shocks them into caring more for each other than themselves. In the story we witness two men, one very young and one old, journeying from their small backwards community into the city where their values and concerns are turned upside down. Mr. Head believes that he has power and influence over those around him.

We can see this by the way he puts Nelson and the dinner car waiter down to make himself feel superior. Nelson doesn't believe Mr. Head is superior, thinking that because he was born in the city he should know just as much about life. The point of the journey is for Mr. Head to show Nelson that he doesn't know as much as he thinks, but by the end of the story both men will have realized this. When Mr. Head and Nelson separate Nelson realizes that he needs Mr. Head very much, becoming very scared when he thinks he is alone in the strange city.

Mr. Head's denial of Nelson in the street can be compare to biblical denials of faith. Even though Nelson needs Mr. Head he to has refused to make that fact known, showing his stubborn nature. When the two come across the statue differences and contempt are washed away. O'Connor explained the significance of the statue as representing the Negro's suffering for all of us like Christ's suffering for all humans (notes, November 8). Mr. Head sees the statue as miserable, unable to distinguish it's age (O'Connor, 124). The vision of this figure has brought the two men down to the same level and has shown them both that they need each other very much.

Mr. Head's final quotation show that he still needs to be superior to someone even though blacks are no longer slaves (notes, November 8). 'They ain't got enough real ones here. They got to have artificial ones. ' Upon returning home Mr. Head judges himself through the eyes of God and sees that his denial of Nelson to save himself from trouble was wrong (a sin).

The appearance of the Christ representation has made him see this and he is forever altered, caring more for the suffering of Nelson instead of himself (O'Connor, 126). Although, the journey may have not brought about any changes in their racist perceptions, we can see that it has brought the two closer together and made them more concerned with each other than themselves. In Good Country People Hulga, at first, separates herself from her mother. Hulga believes that because of her education she is smarter and more perceptive of people and life.

Hulga's image of herself as mentally superior over these 'good country people' is also carried over to her thoughts on Pointer and her plans to seduce him. When Hulga is fooled all feelings of superiority are gone; she is now no better than her perceived ignorant mother. Despite her higher education Hulga was tricked, and has lead to a different perception of good country / Christian people (O'Connor, pg. 193). Now that Hulga realizes that she is not any better than her mother she may begin to see that her own suffering and beliefs are not as important and that sympathizing with and understanding her mother may be more important. The force of religion through Pointers actions can be seen through most of the final events in the story.

First of all, Pointer is a bible salesmen and speaks repeatedly of religion. Secondly, Pointer's actions of taking Hulga's glasses and leg could be compared to Christ's ability to heal. Although Hulga needs glasses to see, it can be construed that by taking her glasses Pointer allowed Hulga to really see herself and the people around her. When Hulga's glasses are off she sees the landscape of the farm to be more beautiful than she has ever believed.

'She didn't realize that he had taken her glasses but this landscape could not seem exceptional to her for she seldom paid any close attention to her surroundings (O'Connor, pg. 189). ' This quotation can also signify the fact that Hulga never looks at the things and people around her, only on herself in self-pity because of her missing leg. Pointer's theft of the fake leg could have left Hulga with nothing to feel resentful over and again equaled he to the rest of the characters. Hulga's last vision of Pointer is the most obvious illustration of his divine representation. In a quotation Hulga compares Pointer's escape over a 'green speckled lake.

' This could be easily compared to Christ's walking on water, making Pointer clearly a divine representation that has come to make Hulga see her true self and surrounding community. The last story in the collection, The Displaced Person, depicts a group of mostly self-centered and shortsighted characters. Mr. Guziac comes into their life as a savior to Mrs. McIntyre and her farm, but through her and the other characters ignorance and twisted value system he is eventually crucified for his differences. Mrs. Shortley insists that Mr. Guziac and other displaced persons are not as advanced as she and her husband are.

This proves to be and error. The Displaced Person is more advanced than any of them. Mechanically, Mr. Guziac can fix almost anything. Morally, he sees no difference between black and white people. Finally, Mr. Guziac is more physically advanced than any other of the workers are, finishing tasks quickly and efficiently.

As a result of her ignorance in believing her superiority the Shortley are to be fired. Does Mrs. Shortly realize her error before she dies? O'Connor describes Mrs. Shortley in death as 'contemplating for the first time the tremendous frontiers of her new country. ' 'Contemplating her new country' could be interpreted that Mrs. Shortley has a new outlook on her views on the displaced person and her concerns for others. Mr. Guziac (a Christ representation) has been the cause for the Shortley's firing and Mrs. Shortley's subsequent revelation. When Mrs. McIntyre realizes that Mr. Guziac is intending to bring over a cousin of his to marry one of the black workers we can see the contrast in values between the two cultures.

Mr. Guziac does not care about race and only wants to bring the rest of his family over to save them from hardships in Europe. Mrs. McIntyre is appalled at this because she like other southerners need blacks beneath them to confirm their own importance. Has Mr. Guziac's honesty touched Mrs. McIntyre? She is not concerned with the suffering of others, just with the financial safety of her farm. To protect her moral values of racism Mrs. McIntyre believes she must fire the displaced person. At this point Mrs. McIntyre begins to deteriorate.

She knows that firing him is wrong and she also needs him very much. In one of her dreams she realizes she should help the Guziac further. 'Think of the thousands of them, think of the box cars and the ovens and the camps and the sick children and Christ Our Lord (O'Connor, pg. 246). ' Why does Mrs. McIntyre feel so guilty? Has this new way of thinking also altered her perception? After Mr. Guziac's death Mrs. McIntyre now perceives herself as a displaced person.

In a quotation near the end of the story we can see how: 'She felt she was in some foreign country where the people who bent over the body were natives, and she watched like a stranger while the dead man was carried away in the ambulance. ' This quote seems to illustrate that Mrs. McIntyre has finally sympathized with the displaced people, now possibly she will think more of others before herself. This realization has come to late for Mrs. McIntyre, there is nothing she can do for Mr. Guziac, who has died for her sins. The numbness that develops in Mrs. McIntyre's legs and hands may partly be related to her guilt for not helping the displaced people. Throughout the story Mr. McIntyre also rejected religion fearing the priest because she suspected him to try and convert her. Why was she afraid of religion?

Was it because it too would show her faults (i.e. not helping the needy, greed, dishonesty)? By finally accepting the priests company after becoming bed ridden we can infer that Mrs. McIntyre has indeed been changed by what the displaced person has taught her and is more willing to accept her past deeds and be forgiven for them. As we can see O'Connor's moral message of religion leading people's concerns away from self-suffering is quite prevalent in most of the stories in A Good Man is Hard to Find. By analyzing stories such as A Good Man is Hard to Find, The Displaced Person, The Artificial Nigger, and Good Country People we can see the representation of religion hidden behind grotesque elements that force the characters towards introspection and change.

These interpretations can be taken further as a possible comment of American culture showing sometimes a horrible apocalyptic vision. O'Connor's moral lessons seem to be telling us that by finding Christ we may overcome these grotesque elements and become stronger people who, through the grace of God, care more for the people around us than our selfish wants.

Bibliography

1. O'Connor, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1976.