Should have been better. Flannery O'Connor makes a good point by saying that Hazel Motes is a maybe even more devoted believer in The Church Without Christ and in that way he is still very religious. The humorous aspect of it is: he doesn't seem to know that yet. Where O'Connor goes wrong, in my opinion is when (view spoiler)[ in the end he has to suffer for his God (?) and thinks he's all the wiser for it. Like, his suffering is his biggest reward in life? (hide spoiler)] . Well atleast, that's what I got out of it. 
 This could have been a smarter, more multidimensional story. I guess she didn't want to tell it that way. Also, I think she's just a better short story writer. This book is full of passages that feel long and unnecessary and some characters just felt flat to me. Still an interesting read...