There are many themes within Flannery O"Connor's short story "Good Country People". Religion is definitely one of the more prominent themes that the story holds. It plays a big part in the actions or characteristics of the main characters. But this is all on the surface. The more important and less accentuated theme is the various images the characters create for themselves. These "masks" prevent them from facing their true "grotesque" selves. They also hide their weaknesses that they have no wish to face or just can't understand. .
People must be comfortable with every aspect of themselves, because certain people, who in this story are represented by Manley Pointer's character, can easily exploit their weaknesses. He is "good country people" and "the salt of the earth" as Mrs. Hopewell refers to him. But he is really a demon that they must face. A demon to remind them of their weaknesses. .
Beginning with Mrs. Hopewell, the title of the story comes from what she likes to call the poorer and less fortunate people that live off the land and work their whole lives just to hang on to some scrap of a life. This is how she views these people. She believes that they are good country people not a bad seed among them and that are all eager to help out and bow in humility to the upper class. The gullible nature of Mrs. Hopewell betrays her true vision of a situation. She is one of those people who are all goody-goody to people who they view as less fortunate. She's a person that commends or speaks for the people she knows nothing about. Altogether this is her true weakness that is taken advantage of by Manley Pointer. One of Mrs. Hopewell's favorite sayings, "Nothing is perfect", is seen in the very beginning of the story. The quote acts as foreshadowing for what her attitude towards life will be. We later find out that she is right, but that she does not live by her saying. Manley Pointer exploits this weakness as soon as she opened her door.
