Hulga Hopewell In Good Country People

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The writer, Flannery O’Connor, has described Hulga Hopewell in Good Country People in a unique way. The main character in the story is Hulga and her wooden leg. She stays at home with her mother. Because of a weak heart and did not have a long life ahead of her. Mrs. Freeman, who had been working for Hulga’s mother, Mrs. Hopewell. Had a prying nature and wanted to know everything that was going around and every morning their conversations usually, took place in the kitchen. Mrs. Freeman’s did not like that her daughter had changed her name from Joy to Hulga, which she had chosen for its ugliness. Hulga had earned a Ph.D. in philosophy and had considered it a waste, as it had not done any good for her. Hulga’s way of dressing, besides changing …show more content…

Earlier in life she had been self-conscious of her wooden leg, but as she grew up she admired it, besides her education. She showed a positive attitude even with her deformity, but simultaneously she did not show any faith in God, which would ultimately lead to failure in life. Hulga had turned towards atheism; as for her there was no god and no afterlife. As the story unfolds, it can be seen that she wanted to believe in a power greater than her and hoped to one day surrender herself to someone, which later she does to Pointer’s advances. Even though Hulga shows she knows it all, in reality, she’s ignorant to the views on reality. Hulga could not understand why her mother was so ignorant about people and considered everyone in their town as “good country people”. She even sees Mrs. Freeman and Pointer as “good country people” wherein; both have been described as manipulating people who had an abnormal interest in Hulga’s wooden leg. Manley Pointer, a bible salesman and a con artist, is portrayed as being realistic. He knows all the tricks as a door-to-door salesman and had a way with words, which changes Mrs. Hopewell’s thoughts on sales people. He gained both mother and daughter’s sympathy by claiming that he also suffered form a heart disease, which compelled Mrs. Hopewell to ask him to stay for dinner, throughout which he gave constant attention to

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