Humor of Flannery Oconnor

Aaron Kalman Professor Suppes Art of Literature 15 September 2012 toughness in soundly Country People Flannery OConnor has always wish to use various types of brainpower and irony in her stories centered much or less the dark, tragic, and uncomfortable ways of life. She uses these literary techniques to mask what she is truly trying to say. Good Country People by Flannery OConnor is a prime manakin of humor and irony which makes dramatic play of the simple, intellectual, as well as the incongruous deal in the world. The most blatant and simple type of humor is build while observing the flat char seters of Mrs. Freeman and Mrs.Hopewell. These two women begin the base by participating in routine gossip with one another. Their unending bickering and desire to feel superior to the other is humorous because of how uninstructed they sound. OConnor puts them in the category of good country people due(p) to the fact that they ar pure, simple, and honest. This is ironic because good country people are referred and compared to as trash multiple times in the legend. Another example of irony includes when Mrs. Hopewell said that the Freemans were a godsend, but the reason she had hired them was that in that location were no other applicants.Despite Mrs. Freeman being extremely nosy, Mrs. Hopewell ironically refers to her as a lady and that she was never ashamed to take her anywhere or introduce her to anybody they might meet (OConnor 379). OConnor uses these two women to lighten up the mood of the story before introducing Mrs. Hopewells atheist and pessimistic daughter Joy. The humor that the author uses when describing Joy is more complex and tragic than any other character in the story. As a well-educated 32 year-old, Joy is not a pleasure to be around. Joy ceaselessly suffers through tantrums and still dresses like a six year-old.While reading OConnors description, it is hard not to laugh at the way she acts towards her obtain as well as visitors. Jo y slams doors, stomps noisily around on her wooden leg, and is in constant outrage (OConnor 378). An example of her disruptive behavior is when she associates Mrs. Freemans daughters, Glynese and Caramae, with Glycerin and Caramel. Joy changes her name to Hulga, which is ironically more suited to her personality. Her get under ones skin believes she does it to spite her, but Hulga really does it with the idea that her mother has to accept her by using the new name.This light humor becomes darker when Hulga gets attain to go on a date with the sadistic book of account salesman, Manley pointer. The bible salesman known as Manley Pointer contains a derisory sense which makes fetching him seriously extremely hard. First of all, the name he chooses to use is anomalous in its own right. Manley Pointer has a cartoon character climax to him as he enters Mrs. Hopewells house. An example of this type of characterization is shown when OConnor states that the man fell forward into her hallas if the suitcase had locomote first, jerking him after it (OConnor 382).Manley Pointer has a youthful and awkward start out to his customers mixed in with a hint of cleverness. Mrs. Hopewell states that she never liked to be taken for a fool (OConnor 383). Her statement is ironic because of the slyness apply by Manley to trick Mrs. Hopewell into inviting him over for dinner. As Manley fools Mrs. Hopewell, he begins his devilish act with Hulga. The climax of the humor in Good Country People occurs when Manley Pointer and Hulga go on a date.Manley and Hulgas date begins with some comical light humor as Hulga tries to dress up in slacks, a dirty white shirt, and some vapex she finds in the medicine cabinet in order to seduce the bible salesman. This is humorous because its shows her ineptitude to do a basic task despite her having a PhD. Hulga thinks she is making Manley fall in love with her as he kisses her head to toe however, ironically Manley is in secret seducing her. H er downfall occurs when she gullibly gives up her soul by entrusting Manley with her wooden leg. He thus takes her leg and runs off into the distance with it, leaving Hulga stranded up in the hayloft.Satirically, the only person Hulga has ever given herself up to steals her life and breaks her heart. throughout Good Country People, dark, uncomfortable, tragic as well as light and simple humor are all used by OConnor. This and some situational and literal irony allowed all types of characters to be made fun of by the author. The ingenious humor and necessary irony by Flannery OConnor in Good Country People are what make her story brilliant. Works Cited OConnor, Flannery. Good Country People. Meyer, Michael, ed. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. eighth ed. Boston Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print.