Hulga makes eggs while her mother considers how she probably should not have earned a Ph.D. in philosophy, since it has not brought her any good. Joy thinks that Manley is the most simple and loving person she has ever met. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. 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. Flannery O'Connor's Stories "Good Country People - GradeSaver in the end, he is the one who fools her and leaves her helpless. Joy/Hulga is defiant and that ends up leaving her worse off because she goes with Manly Pointer and he leaves her. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. The story itself narrates life as a mystery that remains a question for everyone whatever they think. You might also wish to note that O'Connor's selection of names for her characters helps to establish their significance in the story. That's life!". Hulga's epiphany, or moment of grace, occurs as a result of Pointer's betrayal of her faith in him and his destruction of her intellectual pretensions. ). -Graham S. Mrs. Freeman agrees with Mrs. Hopewells assessment of her employees helpfulness without a hint of humility. In the short story "Good Country People," how do the names of the characters symbolically represent thematic contrasts in the story, and what exactly is Hulga's greatest handicap? This is because the doctors have advised her to take great care of her daughter as with the best of care, Joy might live to see forty-five. Good Country People Themes | Shmoop The story is set in the Southern part of the US in 1955. Morality In Flannery O Connor's Good Country People Her unwillingness to associate herself with those around her has made Hulga a very unlikeable person. Our on Good Country People can help. Mrs. Hopewell sees Manley going out of the woods but does not expect that they have met. But Mrs. Hopewells bland, uncritical attitude, reflected by saying That is life, suggests that she is not as mature and sophisticated as she believes. Although O'Connor uses the intellectual, or the pseudo-intellectual, in one of her novels and in seven of her short stories, Hulga is the only female in the bunch. Mrs. Hopewell believes Manley is "good country people." . Is O'Connor trying to make a point about formal education through the story "Good Country People"? Most of the story is set in Mrs. Hopewells kitchen. Mrs. Hopewell has a high opinion of herself and is happy to congratulate herself on good decisions, such as putting Mrs. Freemans nosiness to good use. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Then he kisses Joy while walking in the woods but she ignores the act. The story itself narrates life as a mystery that remains a question for everyone whatever they think.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'litpriest_com-leader-4','ezslot_13',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-litpriest_com-leader-4-0'); Through the character of Hulga Hopewell, OConnor gives the idea that education does not make a person practical unless one deals with every kind of surroundings. 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. -Louis XIV. Physically defeated, Hulga attempts to use her intellect to shame Pointer into returning the leg. She considers everyone inferior to her and reminds them of their lower class e.g. In every instance, the intellectual comes to realize that his belief in his ability to control his life totally, as well as control those things which influence it, is a faulty belief. However, she faces injury at a tender age that does not let her lead a happy life. However, Joy does not pay attention to him after greeting him. Ex. Mrs. Hopewell likes to praise Glynese and Carramae by telling people that they are "two of the finest girls" she knows, and she also praises their mother, Mrs. Freeman, as a lady whom "she was never ashamed to take . That statement, as Mrs. Hopewell knows, is something that "ended with the Greeks and Romans. O'Connor, however, does not depict Mrs. Freeman as an example of "good country people.". Joy lives with her mother only because of her weak heart. This supernatural power metaphorically functioned as the strings between the puppet master (the mind) and the puppet (the body). In "Good Country People," identify the point of view and explain how knowing the point of view influences how we understand a major theme of the story. She wrote two novels in her lifetime and thirty-two short stories. The Bible Salesmans theft of Hulgas leg represents a desecration of her most private boundaries. Explain each character's ways of manipulation in "Good Country People.". If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. However, in the end, he is the one who fools her and leaves her helpless. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. For example, Hulga is an intellectual character and the story ridicules her for her false admiration by the people around her because of her knowledge. Does the story have any admirable characters or heroes in the conventional sense? Who does O'Connor admire and satirize in "Good Country People"? No one ever touches it but her. Good Country People Questions and Answers - eNotes.com Oh, Manley Pointer. Manley, Manley, Manleyit might take Hulga a while to realize what a slippery trickster you are, but we're onto you from almost the moment you arrive on the page. The Bible Salesman, who claims to be devout, turns out to be hiding alcohol, condoms, and pornography inside a hollowed-out Bible. For instance, OConnors interpretation is hugely interwoven with a meaningful expression of different aspects of life. Mrs. Hopewell is embarrassed and angry about her daughter's behavior, but she knows that she must ultimately accept it because of the hunting accident which cost Joy her leg when she was ten. PDF downloads of all 1725 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. The hollow Bible presents the hollow and deceptive nature of Manley Pointer. As she believes in his goodness, she negates her thoughts on life. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. She so resents her mothers phoniness that she causes her mother annoyance whenever possibleand acts very immature in the process. . She has named her daughter Joy because she is her only happiness in the world. Not affiliated with Harvard College. She has very few options in life and is always trapped in awkward situations that further heighten her irritation for the world. . Then the story shifts to the kitchen of Mrs. Hopewell. The Bible Salesman seems able to read Mrs. Hopewells hypocrisy right away, and plays into her clichd idea of good country people, using a (possibly invented) farm-country heritage to indicate that he is good-natured, simply, and sincere. Although she is arrogant, her mother cares for her and wants her to stay active and beautiful. Pointer's trunk The ever-present hostility which exists between Hulga and her mother is undoubtedly aggravated by the presence of Mrs. Freeman, whom Hulga's mother idealizes as an example of "good country people." Mrs. Hopewell had told Hulga, in simple, "good country" terms, that a smile on her face would improve matters ("a smile never hurt anything"). but I guess the world would be better off if we were all that simple." Then after supper, Mrs. Hopewell excuses him to make him end the meeting. New York City, New York St. Paul, Minnesota Question 2 30 seconds Q. While Mrs. Hopewell lives in a world of clichs and conventional morality, Hulga. I think thats whats wrong with it You dont see any more real honest people unless you go way out in the country. Of course, this judgment of Manley is incorrect, since he is a liar and swindler. Good Country People as an Example of a Southern Gothic Literature At first appearance, the Bible Salesman seems earnest and simple-natured. It was like losing her own life and finding it again, miraculously in his. Ironically, she is dumped by one of those low minded people in the surrounding. I been believing in nothing ever since I was born. For example, Hulga is an intellectual character and the story ridicules her for her false admiration by the people around her because of her knowledge.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'litpriest_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',102,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-litpriest_com-medrectangle-4-0'); OConnors depiction of characters and actions is so complex and multifold that it becomes hard to follow their contradictory natures. According to Mrs. Hopewell, she is one of good country people. : Hulga, Manly Pointer, "Good Country People": Discussion Questions, AP Language Midterm Exam (Literary Terms/Devi, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing,Thinking, Carol Jago, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hulga and Manley in "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor are never honest with each other. For example, Mrs. Hopewells idea of good people is itself contradictory. Glasses. She also changed her name from Joy to Hulga when she was in college at twenty-one. Her fake leg also denotes her crippled identity that is in a confusion of nothingness and superiority complex. She used to be insecure about her wooden leg, but now she reveres it as her defining quality, besides her education. On his way down, he calls to her that she is not so much smarter than him; he doesnt believe in God, either. Limited by a weak read analysis of Hulga Hopewell (Joy) She wakes up early in the morning and is joined by Mrs. Freeman in the kitchen. She yells at him, Youre a Christian! and accuses him of being a hypocrite. Its suggested that Mrs. Hopewell doesnt actually like talking with the Bible Salesman, but only listens to him talk for hours because its the polite thing to do, and it fits into her conception of herself as someone who appreciates good country people.. Irony in "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor The leg cannot be the sense of people's life as it is just a leg, and people should believe in something more real. Her name Freeman employs her nature which is depicted as a lady who triumphantly owns herself. When she asks that he return it, he refuses, and from a hollowed-out Bible (emblematic perhaps of his own religious condition), he produces whiskey, prophylactics, and playing cards with pornographic pictures on them. As Hulga thinks that she is a believer in nothingness, Manley is her metaphoric nothingness. Moreover, the way characters present themselves in Good Country People is often the very opposite of how they are. She reluctantly agrees to his demands because she does not want to lose what he is offering. Literary Analysis of Good Country People by Flannery O' Connor It is the same year OConnor wrote the story, therefore, one can assume that the place is somewhere in Georgia that is Connors home town. We see this withdrawal particularly in a scene in which her mother has just uttered a series of her favorite, ever-ready platitudes, and O'Connor focuses on Hulga's eyes. The story is mainly ironic about the natures of good country people. (including. In "Good Country People," what did Hulga hope to steal from Pointer when he stole her leg and glasses? When they reach the edge of the woods, he kisses her; she has never been kissed before and is not particularly impressed. superior to everyone. She has a face structure that resembles a heavy truck. Moreover, Manleys revealing of the hollow Bible is the main symbol of appearance versus reality. Like everyone in Good Country People, she sees people in a clear hierarchy, with herself at the top. The valise, which seemed to contain Bibles, in fact contains traditional sinful objectsalcohol, pornography, and condoms. Good Country People by Flannery O'Connor Start Free Trial Questions & Answers Characters Analysis Critical Essays Multiple-Choice Quizzes PDF Downloads Lesson Plans Good Country People. Just like the hollow Bible, Manleys religious beliefs are also hollow and fake. To sum up, there is a misrepresentation of the title in the story that depicts its ironic nature. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. She is a thirty-two years old lady with a degree in philosophy. Manley takes Hulga to the barn and kisses her. 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. Despite being the chaste sections of society, some characters exhibit conflicting and false appearances. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. However, her foil, Joy considers life as a meaningless existence. Similarly, Joy also thinks of people as inferior just like her mother. One of the main flaws in Good Country People is the hypocrisy of humans. Consequently, they will be prevented from the dodging world by living their way. This misperception leads them to assume that the world is much simpler than it actually is. Joy suggests that they can be at ease in the barn. Joy lost her leg at the age of 10 during a hunting accident and she wears an artificial leg. She has a complex set of thoughts on religion as she confesses it to Manley Pointer that I told you I didnt believe in God. He has also taken other peoples important things as his commodity. This mention of a heart disease, paralleling Hulga's heart trouble, has a marked effect on Mrs. Hopewell, and she invites him to stay for dinner even though she is "sorry the instant she heard herself say it." She remembers their conversation from the evening before, during which she lied to him and said she was only seventeen years old, and he told her he thought she was real sweet. They connected about the fact that they both might die soon from a heart condition, and he invites her on a picnic for the next day. By dividing the story into four loosely distinct sections, O'Connor is able to establish subtle parallels between the characters of Mrs. Freeman and Manley Pointer (a traveling Bible salesman) and between Mrs. Hopewell and her daughter, Hulga, while at the same time providing details which appear to emphasize the different facets of the four individual characters. It is descriptive because mostly the main characters are discussed by Mrs. Hopewell as she describes Joys history and complains about her attitude. The Bible Salesman has drawn Hulgas attention by being differentmore sincere, she thinksthan the other people Hulga knows, and by directly commenting on her artificial leg. Because both Hulga and her mother have accepted this false view of reality, each of them "hopes well" to tailor that world to meet her own needs Mrs. Hopewell by living in a world where clichs operate as truth, and Hulga by insisting that there is nothing behind, or beyond, the surface world. On the contrary, Manley is apparently a hard believer of Christianity but in reality, he is quite far from being a true Christian. She had had plenty of experience with trash. Before the Freemans she had averaged one tenant family a year. The wives of these farmers were not The title Good Country People is an irony for the contrasting natures of the characters in the story. Asking to be excused for a moment, Mrs. Hopewell goes into the kitchen to check on dinner, where she is met by Hulga, who suggests that her mother "get rid of the salt of the earth . Flannery O'Connor's Stories essays are academic essays for citation. 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. Hulgas education is connected to her lack of faith in God, especially in the mind of her mother. They are the only tenants who are good for her unlike her previous tenants who were all trash. . Good country people are the salt of the earth!" This elevation of what Mrs. Hopewell considers "good country people" is linked to the theme of disgust with the world in general, which is prevalent in many of O'Connor's stories. He still refuses to give her her leg back; instead, he slams it inside his valise and climbs down the ladder, abandoning her in the loft. Therefore, the style becomes complex and philosophic. To continue, Manley also asks her to show him the place where her wooden leg is attached to her body. What is the conclusion of "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor? They lie down and kiss in the loft, and after a while Manley demands that she tell him she loves him. She also imagines that she takes his remorse and changes it into a deeper understanding of life. She is used to reading a lot and prefers to live in isolation. However, when she finds attention from Mr. Manley, her personality shifts towards agreeableness and she softens her limits. The concept of good country people recurs throughout the story, referring to Mrs. Hopewells view that there is a certain kind of person who lives out in the country and is a simple, moral person. Read the Study Guide for Flannery O'Connors Stories, Tempus Fugit: A Different View of Southern Hospitality, Conflicting Identity Schemas in Everything That Rises Must Converge, Flannery O'Connor's Intellectuals: Exposing Her World's Narrow "Field of Vision", A Grave Mistake: The Irony of Sheppard's Selfishness, View our essays for Flannery O'Connors Stories, Introduction to Flannery O'Connor's Stories, View the lesson plan for Flannery O'Connors Stories, View Wikipedia Entries for Flannery O'Connors Stories. . Mrs. Hopewell watched from afar, but could not hear what is said. OConnor uses in her story third-person limited omniscient narrative. He removes her glasses but she does not seem to notice. He has also taken other peoples important things as his commodity. money, food, useless accessories, etc. While leaving the house, he sees Hulga outside who joins him towards the door and he manages to have some talk with her before leaving. In Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People," what is the tone of the piece? Connor sets up a conflicting argument between the staunch believers and disbelievers of Christianity. In-depth explanations of Good Country People's themes. She also thinks that Mrs. Freeman is a good person because she wants to believe it but Mrs. Freeman is a sadist. And the protagonist, Hulga, is condescending toward any religious sentiment. Mrs. Hopewell thinks that Hulga's wearing "a six-year-old skirt and a yellow sweat shirt with a faded cowboy on a horse embossed on it" is idiotic, proof that despite Hulga's Ph.D. and her name change, she is "still a child.". In the story, she is the most authentic source for truth and reality. The last two paragraphs of the story, concerning Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman, were added at the suggestion of O'Connor's editor. Instead, he opens his valise to reveal that there are only two Bibles inside, and that they are fake; they open to reveal a flask of whiskey, a pack of cards, and some medicine in a small blue box. In fact, Mrs. Hopewell is so blind to reality that she believes that she can "use" Mrs. Freeman. From Hulga's point of view, the surrender of her leg was an intellectual decision; consequently, the destruction of her faith in the power of her own intellect can come only through betrayal by the one whom she rationally decided to believe in, to have faith in. In addition, she cited a seventeenth-century Catholic philosopher, Malebranche, for uttering this truth initially. O'Connor's selection of a well-known biblical parallel ("He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it," Matthew 10:39) clearly depicts Hulga's rational surrender to Pointer and firmly underlines the significance of her rational decision within the context of the story. For instance, both Mrs. Freeman and Manley Pointer are seen as "good country people" by Mrs. Hopewell; both have a morbid interest in Hulga's wooden leg; both of them allow their "victims" to form an erroneous view of "good country people"; and finally, both Pointer and Mrs. Freeman are described as having steely eyes capable of penetrating Hulga's facade. On the contrary, he was the one who has entrapped her by admiring her for being a courageous girl due to her artificial leg. Being religious, OConnor represents the eroded beliefs of people in the society who carry out shameful deeds under the cover of religion. They are the opposite of how she views her own daughter, Hulga, who revels in her nihilism and uses her. Hulga prefers to act just as miserable as she feels, valuing authenticity over a cheery attitude. Although the Hopewells consider him as a simple, unintelligent, and inferior person but still he manages to gain their attention and fool them, quite ironic. Mrs. Hopewell tells Manley, I think there arent enough good country people in the world! She has her division of people into two classes i.e. and let's eat.". Malebranche, a seventeenth-century Catholic philosopher, believed that even the simplest of bodily movements was possible only because of the supernatural power that was constantly present. Furthermore, she is quite haughty and grumpy and is not interested in any kind of happiness in life. She decided that for the first time in her life she was face to face with real innocence. Hulga, Mrs. Hopewells daughter, lumbers around the house and stomps into the kitchen one morning while the two women talk. "Good country people" refers to those whom Mrs. Hopewell sees as simple and moral. Hulgas seemingly religious epiphany is perhaps the most crucial moment of the story. Joy is thirty-two and is quite arrogant and self-willed. He drives 1955 Mercury. She is very quick to speak her mind, and takes pleasure in mocking her mother's religious beliefs. When a shocked Hulga asks whether or not he is "good country people," as he claims he is, Pointer replies, "Yeah . Also like Hulga, OConnor was well educated and brilliant, but living in a relatively uneducated Southern environment. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Hulgas wooden leg is considered her uniqueness throughout her life. . "Good Country People". document.write(new Date().getFullYear());Lit Priest, Literary Devices used in Good Country People, 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.. 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 . Mrs. Hopewell wants her daughter to be happy and well dressed. Teachers and parents! Mrs. Freemans interest in Hulgas disability seems to bother Hulga, indicating that her artificial leg is the key to her vulnerability. They lie against the hay and Manley kisses her again. In what ways do Mrs. Freemans descriptions of her daughters contribute to the theme of the story "Good Country People"? Manley Pointer plays his role by removing Hulga's leg and setting it out of her reach. For her, her own identity remains fixed i.e. They also talk about different subjects like damnation, nothingness, God and so on. At the same time, she considers herself above the surrounding people. China in 1989 Gather information from resources such as history books and print out on-line encyclopedias. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive." Get LitCharts A + The daughter of Mrs. Hopewell, Hulga is intelligent, intellectual, and cynical. What are the character traits of Joy-Hulga in "Good Country People"? Her gender, however, does not keep her from suffering the common fate of all the other O'Connor intellectuals. Hulga is introduced as an angry-young-lady. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. However, when Manley removes her spectacle in the barn, she surrenders to his vision of life. Good Country People offers few glimpses of true, authentic faith. By contrast, she judges dishonest or lazy poor people as trash. With these phrases, Mrs. Hopewell presents a clear hierarchy in how she views societyshe professes an admiration for good country people, but that admiration is essentially condescension, and part of why she praises them is because it reinforces her own sense of superiority. She is an independent lady and a successful landowner in the Southern part of the US in the 1950s with farmers and tenants working for her. One of the main characters; well educated; very pessimistic and close-minded; is tricked by Manly Pointer and loses her artificial leg because of him, Joy/Hulga's mother; very optimistic and oblivious; believes everyone is good and honest, Mrs. Hopewell's tenant farmer; talks a lot and is nosy; she always has to be right and , ironically is, in the end of the story; always wants to make her and her family look good, "Bible salesman" how tricks everyone into thinking he is honest and kind, steals Joy/Hulga's artificial leg and leaves her in the barn by herself; uses others for his own benefit and religion as a crutch to make himself look good, Red-head, 18 years old, good looking, "has many admirers", goes on lots of dates, Blonde, 15 years old, married, is pregnant, frail, sickly(?) That night, she lies in bed imagining dialogues between herself and Pointer that are insane on the surface but which reach below to depths that no Bible salesman would be aware of. 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. Joy nicknames her Glycerin that predicts the lightness of her and her sisters character. Refine any search. Her mother also connects her education to her lack of faith in God, since she has read a passage suggesting this in one of Hulgas science books. Daydreaming about a day when he will help her take care of the wooden leg, Hulga agrees. 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. Chazelle, Damien ed. The truth of life is created by ones thoughts, not by some external reality. Although Mrs. Freeman has her own family, however, she makes sure to be at Hopewells place in mealtimes and observe them having their meals.