Flannery O’Connor is a master of the short story. In “Good Country People,” she tells the tale of two women who are complete opposites. Hulga Hopewell is a woman who is sure of herself and her intelligence. She looks down on those around her, including her mother. Mrs. Freeman is a simple woman who takes care of Hulga and loves her despite her faults.
Though they are different, these two women have something in common: they are both good country people. Flannery O’Connor uses this term to describe someone who is honest and hardworking. Mrs. Freeman embodies these qualities, while Hulga Hopewell does not.
Hulga Hopewell may be intelligent, but she is also arrogant and judgmental. She looks down on her mother and the people who work for her. Hulga doesn’t think she needs anyone, but she is wrong. Flannery O’Connor shows us that even the smartest people need other people in their lives.
Mrs. Freeman may not be as educated as Hulga, but she is a kind and loving person. She takes care of Hulga even though she knows her daughter doesn’t appreciate it. Mrs. Freeman is a good example of what it means to be a good country person.
Flannery O’Connor uses the contrast between these two women to show us that being a good country person is more than just being honest and hardworking. It’s also about being kind and compassionate. Flannery O’Connor teaches us that these qualities are what make us truly good people.
The names people are given often hold meaning and that show through in their behaviors, habits, and traits. Some authors use this to create characters whose names reflect how they act or what role they play In Flannery O’Connor’s short fiction story, “Good Country People,” for example , the characters’ names contribute to who they are and help further characterization.
The story is about Mrs. Freeman, a woman who works with Mrs. Hopewell, selling Bibles door to door. Mrs. Freeman has a daughter, Joy, whom Mrs. Hopewell hires as a nanny for her son, Tarleton. However, Joy is not your average nanny; she goes by the name of Hulga and she is quite an arrogant person.
Hulga was raised by her mother, Mrs. Freeman, to be an innocent country girl, but after getting injured in an accident and having to wear a glass eye, Hulga’s perspective changed. She became extremely pretentious and rude because she felt that her physical deformity made her ugly on the inside and out.
The characters Mrs. Hopewell, Mrs. Freeman, Joy/Hulga, and Manley Pointer play a role in establishing the theme of identity in O’Connor’s story. To start, Mrs. Freeman is the first character introduced by O’Connor. She manages Mrs. Hopewell’s ranch along with her two daughters Glynese and Carramae. Meals are usually when she visits Mrs. Hopewell’s home to chat about mundane topics that never seem to change day-to-day.
O’Connor uses Mrs. Freeman to contrast Mrs. Hopewell’s materialistic lifestyle. In addition, O’Connor gives Glynese and Carramae the last name of “Freeman” to show that they are not bound by the same social standards as the other characters in the story. This is significant because it allows O’Connor to explore the theme of identity further through these characters.
Mrs. Hopewell is a woman who is defined by her material possessions. She is constantly worried about what other people think of her and she only wants the best for her family.
However, she is also very naïve and does not realize that her daughter, Joy/Hulga, is not happy with her life. Joy/Hulga is Mrs. Hopewell’s daughter who has a Ph.D. in philosophy. She changed her name to Hulga because she thought it sounded more intellectual than Joy. Joy/Hulga is a very arrogant and cynical person who does not believe in anything. She is also very unhappy with her life and she does not know how to connect with other people.
Manley Pointer is a salesman who comes to Mrs. Hopewell’s house to sell Bibles. He is a very charming and handsome man who knows how to take advantage of people. He is also very naïve and he does not realize that Joy/Hulga is using him to get revenge on her mother.
O’Connor uses these four characters to explore the theme of identity. Mrs. Hopewell is a woman who is defined by her material possessions. Joy/Hulga is a woman who is unhappy with her life and does not know how to connect with other people. Manley Pointer is a man who knows how to take advantage of people. These characters help to establish the theme of identity in O’Connor’s story.
Flannery O’Connor was an American writer from Georgia. She wrote short stories, novels, and essays, all with religious themes. Many of her stories take place in the American South and involve issues of race, gender, and class. “Good Country People” is one of her most famous stories. It was first published in 1955 and has been anthologized many times.
The story is about a young woman named Hulga who is taken advantage of by a man named Manley Pointer. Hulga is an atheist, and Manley is a Bible salesman. Hulga’s mother, Mrs. Hopewell, is a Christian, and she hires Manley to sell Bibles to her friends. Hulga is not interested in Manley, but he is very interested in her. He flatters her and tells her that she is the most intelligent woman he has ever met. Hulga falls for his flattery and agrees to go on a date with him.
Manley takes advantage of Hulga’s naivete and tricks her into taking off her artificial leg. He then leaves her in the woods, where she is found by a group of men who are looking for a lost child. Hulga is humiliated and learns a valuable lesson about trusting people. Flannery O’Connor uses this story to explore the themes of identity, trust, and betrayal.
It is clear that Hopewell prefers to be in charge of others and their lives. She also does what she wants, when she want, regardless of how it affects those around her. For example, “However, Mrs. Freeman’s relish for using the name only irritated her. It was as if Mrs. Freeman’s beady steel-pointed eyes had penetrated far enough behind her face to reach some secret fact” (O’Connor 455).
Flannery O’Connor uses literary devices such as symbolism and foreshadowing to enhance the meaning of her short story “Good Country People”. Flannery O’Connor was a Catholic writer who wrote in the mid-20th century.
Most of Flannery O’Connor’s stories take place in the American South and her characters are usually Christian. Flannery O’Connor believed that the only way to get people to see the grace of God was through violence and bloodshed. Flannery O’Connor once said, “I am interested in making a good case for strangeness”.
Flannery O’Connor uses the literary devices of symbolism and foreshadowing to enhance the meaning of her short story “Good Country People”. The main character in “Good Country People” is Flannery O’Connor herself. Flannery O’Connor uses this story to tell us about her own life and how she views the world.