Good Country People & Revelation- Flannery O'Connor
Two short stories from a collection of her complete short stories. I thought I would comment on themes & style and then see how these develop/ cohere through the entire volume.
The strongest impression was that the emphasis on the first person narrative that is the strength of literature generally is being brutally exploited in her work. In both stories the perspective of the narrator, which is naturally flawed means they cannot see that their faults lead them into trouble. In the first an academically learned girl is deceived by the same "good country people" she despises and looks down upon. In the second, the near stream of conciousness conversation in a country surgery waiting room leads to an attack, which is inexplicable to the pious lady involved.
O'Connor writes some deliciously dark descriptions of the thoughts in peoples' heads. In doing so she reveals the ways in which people undermine themselves and how their egotistical self-centred views of the world can hurt them. Neither of the offended characters ends the stories having their selfism diminished and they certainly aren't learning from what happens. In both cases, O'Connor creates claustrophobically small world situations where people feel safe in their own little worlds, until something "other" comes from outside their experience to hurt them. Similarly, the attack is from the younger generation, as if these new people don't play by the same rules as "good country people". That psychosis of "the killer inside", of petty criminality reminded me strongly of Jim Thompson. A casual darkness.