Thesis on Flannery OConnors Good Country People Essay

Thesis Statement: In Flannery OConnors short story Good Country People, the expulsion of the outside world allows for more emphasis on the symbolic nature of each of the active characters. I. The Kitchen A. Introduction of the characters B. Symbolic use of names in Free.man and Hope.well C. Introduction of the outside world II. The Bible Salesman A. The faà §ade of names B. The absence of other men C. Separation from the Outside world III. The Barn Loft A. Opening the gate for failure B. Scaling the ivory tower C. Widening the scope from detail to general In the short story Good Country People, by Flannery OConnor the world is made smaller in order to look with great scrutiny at the players of this game of life. There†¦show more content†¦After loosing her leg at the age of ten, and remaining aware for the entire episode, she is stripped of the capacity for Joy, and Hope both. The Freeman name is a direct play on the status of the family as tenant farmers, as while Mrs. Freeman may come in and rest her elbow on the refrigerator as she likes, the family is certainly not free, nor will they ever enjoy the social or financial freedom of the Hopewells. This last name is likewise given a dual meaning. Mrs. Hopewell in simply incapable of doing less than assuming all is well that ends well. The bible salesman even alludes to a direct play on the family name as he jokes I hope you are well! The introduction of the bible salesman, Manley Pointer, is in and of itself another play on the use of names as symbolic meaning. This is eviden ced by the very phallic nature of the name and his sole representation of the male gender as an active character. Manleys presence is the first and only physical arrival of the outside community in the Hopewell home. The rest of the social interactions with others are kept at great distance. The phone conversation with the previous employer of the Freemans, Hulgas university, even the ...Negros back in there, which Mrs. Hopewell assumes hes been selling bibles to when he departs with Hulgas wooden leg, are kept outside of the action. When Manley and Hulga sneak away from the sanctity of the home to rendezvous on the road outside, it is toyed with as aShow MoreRelatedANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesrefer to the plot of a work of fiction, then, we are referring to the deliberately arranged sequence of interrelated events that constitute the basic narrative structure of a novel or a short story. Events of any kind, of course, inevitably involve people, and for this reason it is virtually impossible to discuss plot in isolation from character. Character and plot are, in fact, intimately and reciprocally related, especially in modern fiction. A major function of plot can be said to be the representation

Racial Equality And Opportunity For African Americans

Even after slavery was erased from the lives of African Americans, something rather equal to slavery was introduced. Sharecropping was what they called it and although it didn t fool all African Americans, it still resembled the same practice of slavery itself. Equality and opportunity were the main words that would have African Americans develop faith during the time period of 1865 to 1905. Of course, lives of African Americans continued to be painfully raw in disguise. On December 18, 1865, Thaddeus Stevens held a speech at the U.S House of Representatives during the phase of reconstruction. Thaddeus was a Radical Republican who had a strong belief in giving Africans rights and support just as white Americans had doc 1. Steven s explains, that after time of torture they are finally letting African Americans loose and they have nowhere to go. They have no money, shelter, nor education to help them start a life. In the speech he believes that something must be done in order to help these African Americans establish and construct an opportunity for them. Their condition is unjust and this whole idea of sharecropping isn t changing a thing for them anyways. Black codes were laws for all African Americans to follow that were very unjust. They discriminated the black race in all ways possible doc 2. These laws only labeled the inabilities of African Americans by restricting many activities making them seem useless and pathetic. Supposedly, the deal was to help these peopleShow MoreRelatedHow Racial Minorities Found Hope for Improvement1167 Words   |  5 PagesRacial minorities have suffered a treacherous life under the white majority for the period 1870s-1930s. However, they worked hard to improve their political, social, and economic conditions with some successes and failures. By overcoming the laws and regulations placed by the white majority, racial minorities found methods to settle in an area and earn a living. Even though they were not guaranteed equality, minorities lived an arduous yet hopeful life, waiting for the day when they could be treatedRead MoreThe Cold War Between Communism And Communism1382 Words   |  6 PagesAfte r WW2, United States became the greatest power in the world; many American politicians thought that Unites states should play the role as a leader to â€Å"lead the rest of the world to a future of international cooperation, expanding democracy, and ever-increasing living standards (Give me Liberty P952).† They wanted to express the idea of equality, civil rights, and the freedom to the world, and hoped to build an easier world for democracy and capitalism. However, Soviet Union, which was the onlyRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech989 Words   |  4 Pagesexpound on her statement. In his life as well as Martin Luther King Jr.’s, â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, he was an avid and determined African American striving for racial equality. He allowed for others to follow his lead and to continue his legacy as the U.S continues to live on as a nation of freedom, liberty, and security. King’s presentation addresses the African America n race, expressing a daring opinion for the whites of North America to consider them in the United States today, making the speechRead MoreRacial Discrimination And The Criminal Justice System1512 Words   |  7 Pagesbe undeniable. Equality and justice are out of reach with the racism that takes place in our criminal justice system and our country. Racial discrimination is prevalent amongst the African American culture in issues regarding drug use, and incarceration which creates unfair inequality for this race. I will use peer reviewed articles to verify the racial disparity in the criminal justice system. The first article I am going to focus on, Foreword: Addressing the Real World of Racial Injustice in theRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech1031 Words   |  5 Pagesexpound on her statement. In his life as well as Martin Luther King Jr’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, he was an avid and determined African American striving for racial equality. He allowed for others to follow his lead, and to continue his legacy as the U.S continues to live on as a nation of freedom, liberty, and a home of safe living. King’s presentation addresses the African American race, expressing a daring opinion for the whites of North America to consider them in the United States today, making theRead MoreRace is Still a Factor in America Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pagesconsidered to be African- American have made several outstanding achievements since the times of segregation; they have obtained the same suffrage rights, the same job opportunities, and many more privileges that were previously denied to them by their Caucasian counterparts. Though the people of African- American decent have come a long way since the early times of segregation, are they truly seen as equals to the people around them? Have African- Americans been able to obtain the equality Dr. King dreamedRead MoreRacial Leadership And The African American Political Thought From B Du Bois1260 Words   |  6 Pageshistory of United States we have had different views of racial leadership in Afro American political thought from W.E.B Du Bois to Booker T. Washington to Marcus Garvey who sought to lead African-Americans from the oppression they face. All three of these historical figures had different views on racial leadership and politics as well as the vision and direction that racial emancipation should take. W.E.B Du Bois argued that African-Americans should political, economic, and social freedom and advancementRead MoreAfrican Americans And The Civil War1309 Words   |   6 PagesIn the summer of 1619, the first Africans were brought to Jamestown, Virginia not to live as free settlers but as subordinate slaves. They worked strenuously for Whites, who considered themselves superior to Africans, without much benefit. Racism is not just the belief that one race is superior to others, but the act of negatively identifying individuals based on the color of their skin. Attributing race to individual character has proven to have negative implications that are difficult to mend.Read MoreEffects Of The Civil Rights Movement910 Words   |  4 Pagesconflict after African Americans in Southern states were mistreated and had very different rights as the white. Some of the inequalities that African Americans had to face include the opportunities for housing, education and employment, the right to vote, and discrimination in several public places. This also gave the Supreme Court a new aspect since discrimination and segregation were legal. With a great leader such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. protesting for equal rights, the African Americas wereRead MoreEssay on Martin Luther Kings Successful Philosophy1019 Words   |  5 Pagesbrought to America and put into slavery. They were treated more cruelly in the United States than in any other country that had practiced slavery. African Americans didn’t gain their freedom until after the Civil War, nearly one-hundred years later. Even though African Americans were freed and the constitution was amended to guarantee racial equality, they were still not treated the same as whites and were thought of as second class citizens. One man had the right idea on how to change America

Vichy France and Eisenhower Free Essays

Eisenhower’s moral reasoning in handling the Darlan situation involved several key principles of a ‘traditional ethic’ for the military profession. Specifically, Eisenhower demonstrated ‘service to country subordinating personal interest to mission accomplishment’ and ‘promoted and safeguarded the welfare of subordinates’ in making decisions regarding this politically sensitive case. Eisenhower was well aware going into the Torch campaign of the strategic significance of allied victory in the early stages of the war. We will write a custom essay sample on Vichy France and Eisenhower or any similar topic only for you Order Now The potential for French reaction and Vichy government resistance to invasion of their North African colonies was all too real. Eisenhower clearly understood that Darlan would be a key strategic ‘center of gravity’ for controlling potential Vichy resistance. As Churchill noted, â€Å"Kiss Darlan’s stern if you have to, but get the French Navy†(page 354). As a result, the Darlan deal Eisenhower orchestrated resulted in a cease-fire agreement between French and Allied forces in exchange for appointing Darlan as military governor or high commissioner of North Africa, much to the outrage of the British and American governments. In analyzing Eisenhower’s moral reasoning in getting to such a deal, there are two specific principles of the ‘traditional ethic’ to consider. The first is the principle of service to country where personal interests are subordinate to requirements of the profession and to mission accomplishments. Eisenhower was given orders from his civilian bosses, to include FDR, to ‘use whatever means necessary to resolve the French problem’. He accordingly knew that Darlan, once the Giraud option failed, was his only option. He understood the decision on the deal would be politically controversial but that to accomplish the mission, it was necessary. In this case, Eisenhower demonstrated the moral courage to make a tough decision where ‘leadership would not equate to likership† and he expected that criticism would ensue. The second moral principle Eisenhower demonstrated was to promote and safeguard the welfare of his subordinates as persons, not merely as Soldiers, Sailors or Airmen. Here Eisenhower kept in mind what he needed to do to save the lives of his men, not the careers of statesmen. He maintained a Soldier’s perspective, not a political perspective. With regards to Darlan, he knew â€Å"this guy can stop the fighting and nobody else can† (page 355). He also understood that winning the favor of Darlan would directly impact the success of Torch by allowing uncontested access to key terrain and facilities. For example, he knew that use of airfields at Tunis and Bizerte, both French controlled, would help achieve overarching goals in North Africa and again save the lives of his men. On the surface, Eisenhower’s actions in handling the Darlan deal may point to poor and hasty decision making from a novice Allied Commander early in the war. Further analysis reveals Eisenhower’s skills and ethical reasoning were largely at play. Ultimately, he believed the deal would save the lives of his men, accomplish the mission and he was willing to assume risk and accept blame for it. How to cite Vichy France and Eisenhower, Essay examples