Good Country People: Manley Pointer; A Symbol of the Devil
"Good Country People," by Flannery O'Conner is not so much about good country people, but rather the extent to which country people can be good. In other words, it is a depiction of the fraud of misrepresenting yourself, and O'Conner makes this point in her depiction of Manley Pointer. Manley Pointer visits selling Bibles and refuses to leave without stealing something, anything and being cruel and deceptive in the process. Ultimately, this portrayal of Manley Pointer as a deceiver with ulterior motives can be seen to symbolize the devil, and the process by which he deceives is a reflection on how the devil operates. One must overcome the devil through a realization of his deceptions, as did Joy in the epiphany at the end of the story, however "Good Country People" is a warning of the threat of evil that lurks if one is not aware. Manley Pointer begins his web of deception by appearing too good to be true to Joy, thus illustrating the early steps of the devil's deception. Upon first encounter, Manley is overly friendly and Christian, speaking in a good 'ole country vernacular telling Mrs. Hopewell that the "word of God ought to be in every room in the house besides in his heart." This helps give off the appearance that he
The devil, like Manley, believes in nothing except deceit. Manley's motives are of the lowest in nature; he enjoys steeling from helpless girls like Joy who lost a leg and a girl from whom he stole an eye. Yet his motives for duping such a lost and troubled girl are unfounded, and that is truly where his nature as being a devil lies. As more of Manley Painter is revealed, his odd behavior starts to cast doubt on his character until it is evident that he is a symbol of the devil. Manley continuously tells Joy what she wants to hear, and does so under the guise of Christianity. The devil, as symbolized by Manley Pointer, preys on people where they think they know best. "I been believing in nothing ever since I was born," Manley yells to her before he disappears, which shows that his motives are that he has no motives except pure evil. This epiphany, however, is indicative of the nature of the devil as once his scheme is discovered, Manley reveals the rest himself. One must be wary of the devil, and Manley Pointer's character is a reflection of the lengths the devil will go to, without motivation . " "Good country people are the salt of the earth!" he exclaims, in a false attempt to appeal to those he is visiting. Hopewell thinks she understands simple people, but her belief in simple people leads to her accepting the devil to come to dinner. He finds people at their weakest and uses their weakness as a way to get into the individual and then exploit him. Hopewell feels something is not right this stranger.
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Country People,
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