Hulga is alone and misses her artificial leg. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. . Mrs. Hopewell had told Hulga, in simple, "good country" terms, that a smile on her face would improve matters ("a smile never hurt anything"). By living such an intellectual life, Hulga has to some extent cut herself off from the natural world, reaffirming that, for all her knowledge of philosophy, she is missing out on many aspects of life. In addition, she cited a seventeenth-century Catholic philosopher, Malebranche, for uttering this truth initially. Thus, the reader is left with the impression that Mrs. Hopewell will also have to undergo an epiphanal experience which will destroy the confidence she has in her ability to control and to use Mrs. Freeman. Even though the kiss causes an extra surge of adrenaline, like that which "enables one to carry a packed trunk out of a burning house," Hulga is now convinced that nothing exceptional happened and that everything is "a matter of the mind's control.". For instance, the surname for Joy and Mrs. Hopewell is Hopewell. When they reach the edge of the woods, he kisses her; she has never been kissed before and is not particularly impressed. . She agrees, but reservedly, having pity on him because she thinks of him as a poor baby.. It questions the idea of goodness, what are the standards for good qualities and why are some people considered good or bad. Hulga realizes she is not as smart as she thinks she is and gains life experience; Manly Pointer leaves with her leg, Mrs. Hopewell is still oblivious, etc. His comment, "People don't like to fool with country people like me," touches a hidden switch in Mrs. Hopewell, and she responds with a barrage of platitudes concerning good country people and the world's lack of sufficient numbers of that breed. "Flannery O'Connors Stories Good Country People Summary and Analysis". O'Connor is showing us here that Hulga, with her Ph.D. degree in philosophy, has until now professed absolute atheism. Her first novel was "Wise Blood' in 1952. There was nothing about her face or her round freezing-blue eyes to indicate that this had moved her; but she felt as if her heart had stopped and left her mind to pump her blood. Therefore, she changes her name to Hulga later on. Good Country People offers few glimpses of true, authentic faith. 4. Similarly, Joy Hopewell changes her name to Hulga but despite that Mrs. Hopewell still calls her Joy, only because she chooses this name for her. When a shocked Hulga asks whether or not he is "good country people," as he claims he is, Pointer replies, "Yeah . Manley packs up her wooden leg and his other possessions in his valise. Hulga is outraged to discover that the "proof of love" demanded by Pointer is that she show him where her wooden leg joins her body; Hulga is "as sensitive about her artificial leg as a peacock is about his tail." Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. For example, Mrs. Hopewells idea of good people is itself contradictory. O'Connor's account of Hulga's reaction is worth examining in detail since it stresses the fact that Hulga's decision to surrender the leg is essentially an intellectual one: She sat staring at him. ", Consequently, it is a totally chastened Hulga who turns "her churning face toward the opening" and watches Pointer disappear, a "blue figure struggling successfully over the green speckled lake." Undesirable personality O'Connor, however, does not depict Mrs. Freeman as an example of "good country people.". He told her that he was just a poor country boy and that he had a heart condition that might kill him soon. At first appearance, the Bible Salesman seems earnest and simple-natured. Mrs. Freeman is also mainly described according to her views on goodness, but one can get the idea that even her views are flawed. As OConnor says, A story is a way to say something that cant be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say what the meaning is. The story Good Country People is a compact and beautiful piece of work that materializes her statement by making it unique and interesting. She sends Joy to school and makes her a knowledgeable person. He says that his disbelief in any religion is bigger than her disapproval of religious institutions and runs away. Mrs. Hopewell treats her like a small child because she thinks that Joy has seen enough illnesses in her life. Mrs. Hopewell survives in a self-made world of illusion, isolating herself from the real world by mouthing pseudo-philosophical, clichd maxims which only isolate her further from her daughter who has a Ph.D. in philosophy. It is notable that Mrs. Hopewell values the normal above all else, and sees her own daughter as somehow abnormal because of her leg. Hulga has now undergone mortification, and Mrs. Hopewell appears to be facing a future revelation. GradeSaver, 12 July 2010 Web. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Hulga is a lonely girl who does not like the company of people. What statement is Flannery OConnor trying to make by having Manley hide sexual items behind the cover of a Bible? Daydreaming about a day when he will help her take care of the wooden leg, Hulga agrees. The other characters are mainly presented through the eye of their minds. It seems odd that the story, whose focus is Hulga and her wooden leg, begins with a description of Mrs. Freeman and her interactions with Mrs. Hopewell. He asks joy whether they can find a comfortable place to sit down. "Everything That Rises Must Converge". "And I'll tell you another thing," Pointer says, "You ain't so smart. Mrs. Hopewell wonders about her daughters encounter with Manley Pointer, the Bibles salesman. In this moment he overturns Hulgas whole sense of superiority. They change according to the need of the time. On the contrary, the truth lies inside oneself. superior to everyone. She is born Joy but later changes her name to Hulga. It is a small, remote, and rural place. Good country people are the salt of the earth!. For example, O'Connor uses the day of Hulga's "enlightenment" in order to create parallels between Mrs. Freeman and Manley Pointer, while the flashbacks to the events of the previous day establish the parallels which exist between Hulga and her mother. The inference that can be made from the excerpt is "It is located on a wide, isolated expanse of farmland".. I think juxtaposition between nostalgia of the past and reality are the forces pulling on grandmother. For example, the narrator has access to the minds of Hulga and Mrs. Hopewell who are depicted with sometimes negative yet sympathetic eyes. Hulga never considers that she might be the nave one. The easygoing chatter between Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman contrasts with Hulgas sense of seriousness about life. Joy is an atheist and has a Ph.D. in philosophy but seems non-sensible to her mother, and in an act of rebellion against her mother, Joy changed her name to "Hulga," the ugliest name Mrs. Hopewell can imagine. 51 Good Country People Essay Topic Ideas & Examples What do you think of Hulga's conviction that intelligence and education are incompatible with religious faith? Mrs. Freemans interest in Hulgas disability seems to bother Hulga, indicating that her artificial leg is the key to her vulnerability. She has a face structure that resembles a heavy truck. . They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. These names depict the meaning of their existence in the story-line. When Mrs. Hopewell returns to the parlor, she finds Pointer with a Bible on each knee. When after a minute, she said in a hoarse high voice, "All right," it was like surrendering to him completely. In her world, status is defined not just by wealth or land, but also by social respectability, building a family, and acting out the status quowhich for a young woman means getting married and having children. On his entrance in the story, his main purpose is to mock Mrs. Hopewells superior status. Now, Mrs. Hopewell wonders what was said between her daughter and Manley as Mrs. Freeman prattles on about her daughters. She completely blinds herself to the approval of the reality of things and sways in his love. . On the contrary, he was the one who has entrapped her by admiring her for being a courageous girl due to her artificial leg. . When Manley tells her that he likes her wooden leg because it makes her different, she felt as if her heart had stopped and left her mind to pump her blood. Her mind, of course, is incapable of this feat. The last two paragraphs of the story, concerning Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman, were added at the suggestion of O'Connor's editor. Its suggested that something romantic passed between Hulga and the Bible Salesman outside, and Hulga wants to avoid her mothers nosy questions about it. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# Manley is a traveling Bible salesman, which sounds great until we're told that he's "from out in the country around Willohobie, not even from a . Since she has surrendered her leg (now functioning emblematically as her soul) to Pointer, Hulga feels "entirely dependent on him.". She also indulges in complex discussions with her mother, as Mrs. Hopewell prefers simplicity in dialogues. He has also taken other peoples important things as his commodity. In the story, the main characters exhibit such features explicitly. The story "Good Country People" is a compact and beautiful piece of work that materializes her statement by making it unique and interesting. OConnor uses in her story third-person limited omniscient narrative. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Finally, Hulga imagines that she takes away all of Pointer's shame and turns it into "something useful. Manley Pointer, on the other hand, is also on an existential journey. She used to be insecure about her wooden leg, but now she reveres it as her defining quality, besides her education. Nor does she love to enjoy nature. ", When Hulga meets Pointer at the gate, she finds it easy to continue her misconceptions about his innocence and her wisdom. Hulga sees herself as superior to and more intelligent than the men in the area, showing that she too sees a clear hierarchy of people with herself at the top. She begins to feel that someone might understand herbut she also never loses her sense of superiority, as she assumes that she is far more intelligent and educated than he is. She also thinks of young men as stupid and useless (because she is intelligent and philosophic). He also asks her to show him the place where her wooden leg joins her body. . Explain your thoughts by using support from the text. Moreover, through the use of third-person omniscient narrative, the author judges the standard for good qualities and good people, therefore, elevating the importance of the title Good Country People. Eventually, Mrs. Hopewell brings up the Bible salesman, and Mrs. Freeman mentions that she saw him leave; clearly, she saw him talking to Hulga as well. Hulga, meanwhile, naturally scorns the Bible Salesman at first, but then feels a sudden burst of emotion when it seems like someone else might share her same heart condition. She decided that for the first time in her life she was face to face with real innocence. For example, Mrs. Hopewell is always hopeful about life. Carramae is Mrs. Freemans daughter who is fifteen years old. Mrs. Hopewell considers Mrs. Freeman to be extremely nosy, but she knew that before she hired her and has dealt with this problem by making sure that it is Mrs. Freemans job to know everything; she is in charge of the whole household. This request leads Hulga to believe that she has "seduced him without even making up her mind to try.". but it ain't held me back none. In Hulga's case, despite her advanced academic degrees, she is unable to see what is bad, and her mother's stereotyping perspective proves to be equally misleading and false. Hulga is an atheist who refuses to allow her mother to keep a Bible in the family parlor.

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