Woman, Do You Ever Look Inside? There are many themes within Flannery OConnors short story Good Country People. Religion is definitely one of the more prominent themes that the story holds. Like most of OConnors works, it plays a big part in the actions or characteristics of the main characters. This is all on the surface however. The more important and less accentuated theme is the various facades the characters create for themselves. These facades prevent them from facing their true grotesque selves. These facades also hide their weaknesses that they have no wish to face ort just cant understand. People must be comfortable with every aspect of themselves, because certain people, who in this story are represented by Manley Pointers character, can easily exploit their weaknesses. Hes good country people and the salt of the earth as Mrs. Hopewell refers to Manley Pointer who really is a demon that they must face. A demon to remind them of their weaknesses.Beginning with Mrs. Hopewell, the title of the story comes from what she likes to call the poorer and less fortunate people that live off the land and work their whole lives just to hang on to some scrap of a life. This is how she views these people. She believes that they are good country people not a bad seed among them, that they are all eager to help out and bow in humility to the upper class. 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. Shes a person that commends or speaks for the people she knows nothing about. Altogether this is her true weakness that is taken advantage of by Manley Pointer. One of Mrs. Hopewell's favorite sayings, "Nothing is perfect", is seen in the very beginning of the story. Her saying was just that, a saying. The quote acts as foreshadowing for what her attitude towards life will be. We later find out that she is right, but that ...
