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Jeffrey Edwards
American Writers
WK 5
Good Country People, Flannery O’Connor
Canonization of texts is a matter of massive debate with a very thin line between reasons
for some books that are canonized, and why others are not. However, canonized texts in
American literature show some semblance, which one can agree that they are genuine canons.
The text Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor is a short story that is widely accepted as
one of the best in American history. O’Connor weaves a tale of different kind of morals, almost
departing from the traditional moral standards of the time the text sets into place. While the text
is authoritative in its portrayal of a different kind of morality, it does not meet the standards to
be an American canon.
Canons are majorly literary works that have fashioned Western culture, or countries
through history, due to the compelling nature of the story, something that Good Country People
does not have. There is a general agreement that cannons are stories that have had a significant
influence on society, or contributed a substantial wave in history (Ross 7). The time in which the
text gets set can be related to other books in the same category. The books’ ideas play an
essential role in the world’s history or country. However, O’Connor’s story does not seem to have
significantly influenced historical or scholarly happenings. The short story is memorable, and
even one can desire a second reading. However, there is nothing historical about the book. As a
result, there are no connections between it and nay influence in history. Even though literature
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influence is subtle and can take time to manifest, the text has been around for some time, but it
has not had any meaningful impact on history to be considered a canon. As such, the book
cannot, therefore, be regarded as canon.
The moral teaching in the text Good Country People does not come out clearly and is not
sufficient enough to determine its real purpose. Canons are majorly concerned with specific
moral virtues, purpose, and wisdom, which they pass onto the audience (Ross 7). The text focuses
majorly on Hulga, the atheist who thinks she is smart and even openly rebels against her mother,
perhaps in the belief that she is a better person. Initially, she changes her name to Hulga to annoy
her mother, and since her mother overlooks all these incidences, they are left to pass, and she
thinks she is smart than all. However, Manley Pointer, the bible salesperson comes across Hulga;