Hulga has embraced a nihilistic strain of atheism, partly because she longs to reject the expectations of her upbringing and because she finds it genuinely empowering, as it provides her with a sense of self that feels wholly her own. The story presents Hulga’s constructed identity as an act of invention that has intense personal meaning for her, but it is not without its downsides: She now views everyone in her household and her broader community as unenlightened and base, and that manifests in the cruelty and disdain she wields against her mother. Ironically, the very belief system she has used to become what she views as the most authentic version of herself keeps her from seeing other people as they are. It’s also notable that this is a reversal from many of O’Connor’s other stories, in which people who have devout Christian beliefs are revealed to have the same problem as Hulga—an inability to comprehend the true nature of the people around them. In O’Connor’s worldview, dogmatic belief itself is the problem, as it creates a sense of superiority and moral certitude that precludes empathy and leaves one open to victimization by people who don’t value their beliefs.

To a lesser extent, the same is true of

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