Perception And Appearance In Flannery O Connor's Good Country People

Perception and appearance is everything, right? Or is it just a false production that was created with the intent to portray one’s self as something they are not? Similar to an illusion, the way things appear is not necessarily the same as reality. Especially after only a single encounter, the first impression of a circumstance or person can easily be deceiving to the observer. In a society that seems to be putting individuals’ appearances ahead of their spirits and interiors, it becomes very easy for individuals to wear a false mask and to walk around conducting a masquerade for others to see. This lack of belief in a true sense of self and the intention to deceive others demonstrates that a hollow belief system, whether religious or otherwise, can allow for someone to take advantage of another individual.

Furthermore, the mysterious man, hiding behind the persona of a bible salesman named Manley Pointer, uses the assumed morals of the Christian religion to allow for

As a book that represents the very belief system of Christians everywhere, the bizarre man transforms a book that “ought to be in the parlor” into a book of faithless in order to represent his empty and irreligious belief system. Simply put, the man presumed to be Manley Pointer had beliefs as hollow as his bible and he used that lack of belief to exploit peoples’ assumptions of his character. That is to say that, when it comes to this “salesman,” there is more than meets the