fandomhigh | Intro. to Western Lit (March 13, Lesson 9)

"Good morning, class. As many of you might recall, my name is Mr. Raymond. I am from San Diego, California and I have recently moved here to take over the position of English instructor from Mr. Chaucer. I've placed a copy of the revised syllabus on each desk, so please take a moment to glance over it. The only significant change is this week and the next."

"I thought that since Victor Hugo's work tends towards the lengthy side, you might want another week to finish 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame.' So, let's begin with something a little shorter, and easier to digest from a word-count standpoint. The author is Flannery O'Connor and the short story is 'Good Country People', a print-out of which you should also find on your desk. Take the first hour of class to read it and make any appropriate notes. Then we'll work on the discussion questions on the board."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Flannery O'Connor led a very sheltered life, and considered herself to be a caustic, antisocial individual. The character of Hulga is often thought to be as close to a self-portrait as the author wrote. Discuss this, and how it affects your reaction to the outcome of the story.

2. O'Connor was also very Catholic, and saw her work as having an antagonistic relationship with her intended audience of non-believers. What are some examples of religious outlook in "Good Country People?"

3. The characters in this story are always sure of their superiority in one way or another, and it is only the seemingly yokel-like Bible salesman that outsmarts everyone else. What were the main flaws of Mrs. Hopewell and Hulga, and how did the salesman exploit them?

"My method of teaching is fairly basic. You get out of this class what you put into it. You're expected to find your own conclusions, in conjunction with your fellow classmates. I won't stand in the way of your progress by interjecting my own thoughts. I know what I think about the story, but I want to hear what you think."

ETA: OCD is done. Proceed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Let Miles know you're here.

Kawalsky signed in and had got his second wind. The caffeine he consumed not long ago helped too. The only hint that he'd done anything possibly illegal over the weekend was the band-aid on his forehead and the fact that he was walking stiffly.

Alphonse signed in.

Hamlet signs in, a bit surprised at the new teacher.

And well!

Kawalsky read the story. He had to re-read certain parts because he was tired from being up all night, but he got through it.

The story was a bit odd by his tastes, but Alphonse managed to get through.

Hamlet reads the story, but doesn't care tomuch for the main characters.

With more OCD goodness below!

1. Flannery O'Connor led a very sheltered life, and considered herself to be a caustic, antisocial individual. The character of Hulga is often thought to be as close to a self-portrait as the author wrote. Discuss this, and how it affects your reaction to the outcome of the story.

"I guess it explains how she got Hulga to be so emotional. Her reaction to the bible guy seemed realistic, and if the author was like Hulga then she'd really know how Hulga felt without having to make much of it up."

2. O'Connor was also very Catholic, and saw her work as having an antagonistic relationship with her intended audience of non-believers. What are some examples of religious outlook in "Good Country People?"

"I didn't think it was positive about religion at all. The bible guy turned out to be a lying, scheming jerk and he was pretty much the only representative of religion in there, even if he was a phony."

3. The characters in this story are always sure of their superiority in one way or another, and it is only the seemingly yokel-like Bible salesman that outsmarts everyone else. What were the main flaws of Mrs. Hopewell and Hulga, and how did the salesman exploit them?

"Mrs Hopewell thought she was better than people and thought she could see through the Bible guy and that confidence let her be duped. Hulga thought she was so smart for having degrees and that she knew everything when she couldn't even see the truth about the Bible guy until it was too late. The Bible guy knew what he was doing. He saw their weaknesses and played the role they wanted him to play."

Because he's sooooo social.

Get your mun on.

That icon is scary, man.

Intro. to Western Lit (March 13, Lesson 9)

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Read the Story

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Discuss the Questions

Question One

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Question Two

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Question Three

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Talk to the Teacher

OOC

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