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A Man Isn’T Always Who He Seems To Be

The short story, “Good Country People”, written by Flannery O’Connor, is a story that captivates one by usage of symbolism and theme. The more important and less accentuated
theme is the various façades the characters create for themselves. The story centers on the meaning of being a good person, in the sense of leading a Christian, moral life, worthy of salvation. O’Connor describes the story’s characters as distorted versions of humanity, and one of them in particular stands out. Manley Pointer; According to Mrs. Hopewell, he's "good country people" and "the salt of the earth" although he is really a demon that the other characters must face.
Manley Pointer, a young misperceived country boy who shows up as a pathetic bible salesman with an ailing heart (which, coincidentally is the same as what Hulga has), uses this as an illusion to cover up his true nature, that of evil. Interestingly so, he chose something so pure as religion to cover up his devilish nature. By way of his appearance, Pointer is so heavily weighted down by his suitcase that he is lopsided and has to “brace himself against the door facing” to prevent collapsing (277). This heaviness foreshadows a quality of falsehood that becomes clearer as the story progresses.
His name, also a symbol, can be interpreted as humorous, sexual, and ironic as his name was an invention of his mind. Misplaced faith in appearances is central to the themes of this story. Appearance and deception conflict with reality and truth, as Pointer assures Mrs. Hopewell that he is like her and can exchange generalizations about “good country people” as readily as Mrs. Freeman. The gullible nature of Mrs. Hopewell betrays her true vision of a situation. She is one of those people who are all goody-goody to people who they view as less fortunate. Mrs. Hopewell prides herself in not being taken for a fool, but this boy seemed “so sincere, so genuine and earnest.” In a way, both literally and ironically, Pointer is a...