All the stories are concerned with southern lifestyles, even "The Geranium" and "Judgment Day," which are set in New York City, where the older man has been moved to spend his last years. The small southern town is O'Connor's favorite setting, appearing and reappearing over and over, with the citizens of her towns always connected to the basics of country living and life on a small farm, with livestock and beautiful sunsets and landscapes present on many pages.