“By and large, people in the South still conceive of humanity in theological terms. While the South is hardly Christ-centered, it is most certainly Christ-haunted”, - is one of the most mentioned quotes of Flannery O’Connor. The southern literary icon, who was a Catholic, did not create a positive image of people’s stance on religion in spite of her own faith. O’Connor could finish her stories in a more positive way to write a more Catholic-like literature. However, her mix of grotesque Southern scenes and Christianity created more “timeless, and more impactful than the fluffy, always happy-ending Catholic novel” (Usher). The meaning of the term “Christ-haunted” is that people continue to believe in the Bible and use it in their culture, but forge its basic principles. O’Connor focused on this issue in her works, including A Good Man is Hard to Find and the Good Country People.
The first story tells about the family that got a car accident and was killed by the flee felon Misfit and his partners. The tragedy was indirectly caused by the grandmother who took her cat to the trip in spite of son’s interdiction: “Pitty Sing, the cat, sprang onto Bailey's shoulder” (“A Good Man is Hard to Find” 6).The woman also was the one who made Bailey to go to the country road. The grandmother was a representative of “an Old South” and a good example of “Christ-haunted people”. The woman united religion and social classes in her mind: “I know you're a good man. You don't look a bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from nice people!” (“A Good Man is Hard to Find” 8). It looked like the woman believed a person from a “good family” should believe in religious dogmas and follow them. She also tried to convict Misfit that prays will help him to start a better life. The combination of beliefs in religion and social lasses made the woman believe that the criminal “won’t shoot a lady” till the last breath. Grandmother’s behavior could be a reflection of the meaning that “a distorted image of Christ is better than no image at all” (“The Catholic Novelist” 859). O’Connor gave this character several features of this bible figure. Like the Christ, the grandmother tried to offer grace to potentially unworthy people like Misfit. “In a sense, O’Connor has captured two elements of the Christian tradition: Christ’s willingness to offer grace to the undeserving and man’s tendency to reject that grace” (Usher).
The Good Country People has a slightly opposite view of the situation: while the grandmother united religion with the high blood, Mrs. Hopewell believed that simple country people are the true salt of the earth. She incorrectly referred Bible salesman Manley Pointer to this group. The man wormed himself into Mrs. Hopewell’s daughter Joy-Hulga favor and seduced the woman to steal her artificial leg. Pointer was showed as a typical sleazy salesman with a strange fetish – he created an appropriate image to sell Bibles. He could be called a Christ-haunted person only because of the type of the product. Hopewell’s family showed more signs of this term. Hulga’s mother combined religion with the social status: “good country people are the salt of the earth! You don’t see any more real honest people unless you go way out in the country” (“Good Country People” 8). Hulga had an opposite opinion. The woman was a nihilistic philosopher and did not believe in religion. She planned to seduce the salesman by herself and release him from all shame and other prejudices. However, Pointer appeared to be the slyest and most cynical person in his couple in spite of his age and lack of education. Faithless Hulga tried to apply to religion when she saw the true face of the salesman: “You’re a Christian!” she hissed. “You’re a fine Christian! You’re just like them all – say one thing and do another. You’re a perfect Christian, you’re” (“Good Country People” 19). Hulga did not believe in God herself, but hoped that it would help to deal with Pointer as a representative of “true Southern Christians”.
The unnamed grandmother was the most Christ-haunted person in A Good Man is Hard to Find. In spite the fact she was almost the only character who mentioned religion, she was an adherent of the “cultured faith”. This attitude was shown by her belief that a man from a good family would never hurt a lady and would turn to prayers in case of appearance of good arguments. The grandmother’s opinion was stable in spite of the fact Misfit was a violent criminal. She could not imagine that a person who refers to higher classes would be able to act against both Christian and social rules. Some experts also saw connections between woman’s death and religion symbols. “With her legs crossed under her like a child's and her face smiling up at the cloudless sky” (“A Good Man is Hard to Find” 12). This pose was represented as a symbol of a cross.
Works Cited
O’Connor, Flannery. A Good Man Is Hard To Find. Microsoft Word document.
---. Good Country People. Microsoft Word document.
---. “The Catholic Novelist in the Protestant South.” Flannery O’Connor: Collected Works. Comp. Sally Fitzgerald. New York: The Library of America, 1988. 853-864. Print.
Usher, Chelsea. “Flannery O’Connor and Her “Christ-Haunted” South”. Chelseausher.wordpress.com. n. d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
