Flannery O'Connor's Stories

"Good Country People" begins with a discussion of Mrs. Freeman’s eyes. Why? In what way does Mrs. Freeman see more clearly than either Joy-Hulga or Mrs. Hopewell? Does Mrs. Freeman misrepresent herself in any way? Why?

Good Country People

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Her eyes never swerved to left or right but turned as the story turned as if they followed a yellow line down the center of it. She seldom used the other expression because it was not often necessary for her to retract a statement, but when she did, her face came to a complete stop, there was an almost imperceptible movement of her black eyes, during which they seemed to be receding, and then the observer would see that Mrs. Freeman, though she might stand there as real as several grain sacks thrown on top of each other, was no longer there in spirit.

From this description of Mrs. Freeman's eyes, we perceive a direct, straight-forward woman, who says what is on her mind. When she is wrong, however, she detaches herself from the conversation. Mrs. Freeman is unable to admit that she is wrong about anything, and she is unable to see more clearly because she refuses to acknowledge any perceptions that differ from her own.

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Good Country People