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“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation (“Judge Quotes” 1).” In the book, Good Country People, the author, Flannery O'Connor, uses the text to relay the message that people should never judge a book by its’ cover. This is evident through Mrs. Freeman, Hulga, and Manley Pointer. Mrs. Freeman misjudged Manley as a good country person based on that he sold bibles for a living. Hulga has a reputation of a well educated women. This is proved wrong once she meets Manley Pointer. Manley seems like a good, young man selling bibles for a living, but after Hulga’s date with him, everyone is proven wrong. The Good Country People is taken place in the 1950’s at a farm in Georgia. In the …show more content…
1950’s there were not many bad people in the world. Or so it seemed. Mrs. Hopewell owned the farm the Mrs. Freeman and her daughters lived on. Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman were going throughout a normal day, gossiping and all, when Manley Pointer showed up to the house. Manley Pointer was selling Bibles. Hulga is at the frontgate when Manley approaches. Hulga and Manley then go on a date. Manley is a good man because he sells bibles for a living. Why would Mrs. Freeman not let Hulga go on date with him? On the date Manley brings two bibles with him. Hulga could not understand why he had to bring one bible along, let alone two. The went to a barn and went up on the loft. On the loft, Manley asks Hulga to show him where her real leg mets her fake leg. She thinks that since all he does is sell bibles for a living, he must not have an education, and that he must not be that smart. When Hulga takes off her fake leg, he takes it and will not give it back to Hulga. One of his bibles opens. The bible is hollow and booze, condoms, and cigarettes. Manley then runs off with Hulga’s fake leg. He leaves Hugla up in the loft with no way down. Mrs. Freeman judged Manley as a good country man who sells bibles. Which is ironic because of the title of the story, The Good Country People. Mrs. Freeman knew nothing about Manley Pointer. She saw that selling bibles was a good thing. She figured Manley must of been a good person bases on his job. Just because he sold bibles does not mean that he a good representation of a good country person. Mrs. Freeman took the reputation he put off to judge him that he was a good country person who she said the world needed more of. A good country person is someone who is kind and caring at the heart. Someone does not really know a person’s true intentions until they have known the person for a while. Mrs. Freeman should not have saw Manley Pointer as a good country person based on his job. She should have judged him based on his heart. Mrs. Freeman never knew if Manley’s bibles were real, or what was really in the bibles. He kept condoms, booze, and cigarettes in some of his bibles. All of those things are not what a good bible seller should have. Why would he even have those? It is called fraud. He is a fraud. Manley uses the reputation of a bible seller to get people to trust him. Then, he steals from the people. There was a glass eye in his hat. That glass eye most likely belonged to a previous victim of his scams. A person’s personality is usually based on their past. No one in this story knows Manley’s past. His past had to been rough. His past most likely made him the way he is now and caused him to scam people. If a person knows about a person’s past, it is easier for them to judge them and their personality. Mrs. Freeman did not know of Manley’s past when she met him. She had no right to just assume that he was a good person because he told bibles. Hulga thought she was one of the smartest people alive. She had a big education. That caused her to believe everyone was not as smart as her. When Hulga met Manley Pointer, she just assumed that he had no education since all he was doing with his life was selling bibles. Hulga let his reputation get the best of her. She let her guard down around him. This is evident when Hulga and Manley are up on the loft. When Manley asks to see where Hulga’s fake leg meets her real leg, Hulga just takes her fake leg off. She does not think that he is smart enough to do anything, but he proves Hulga wrong. Manley was also seducing her while they were on the loft. That caused her to let her guard down also. He was showing affection towards Hulga, so Hulga was most likely thinking that he would not do anything to hurt her emotionally or physically. Manley’s whole plan worked. He convinced Hulga and her mom that he was a good guy with good intentions. Manley used the good reputation of a bible seller to win people over with a good first impression. Everyone judged Hugla as a well-educated women. If Hugla was so smart, why did she let Manley Pointer trick her into believing he was a good person? Hugla being smart was just the talk of the town. The townspeople judged Hugla based on talk. No one knew if it was fully true or not. Just like Manley Pointer, the townspeople judged Hulga based on the stereotypical school girl. Just because she went to school does not mean that she was well educated and smart. The townspeople were too coward to get to know Hugla personally. No one in the town really knew the true Hugla. Since she lost her leg, the townspeople thought all she had was her education. Hugla must not of been all that smart if she let Manley trick. If the townspeople were correct about Hugla, she should have been smart enough to oversee his scam. Hulga had an odd attraction to Manley Pointer.
Most of the time when someone meets another person who they are attracted to, they only see the good them. That is what Hulga did to Manley. She envisioned him as an uneducated man who she was smarter than. Hulga thought since he was an attractive man that he must be a good man. Hulga let her mind judge him for an attractive, uneducated man. A relationship that actually means something should not be based on looks. If it is, then the chances of the relationship lasting are very small. Hulga should have been the well-educated women she is and saw past his attractive charm. Hugla judged him as a the stereotypical bible seller. But in reality, Manley was far from the stereotypical bible …show more content…
seller. Most of the time when someone judges a book by its cover it turns out bad.
Most people try to see the good in someone when they meet them for the first time. Criminals, like Manley, use good stereotypes to their advantage. They get people to believe that they are good people, but in reality they are bad people. They take something good and use it for a bad thing. This is why everyone needs to take precaution when they first meet someone. Trusting a new person can be very risky. Manley proves that in this story. Most of the time when a person meets another person for the first time, they do not find out everything about that new person. So, why would they trust them? Exactly, they should not trust someone they just met. The Good Country People made it evident that a book should not be judged by its’ cover. Mrs. Freeman, Hulga, and Manley Pointer's characters proved that. Mrs.Freeman judged Manley Pointer as a good country person based on his bible selling reputation. Hugla was not as smart as the townspeople had her out to be. She was not smart enough to see past Manley Pointer’s scam. Manley was not the good, stereotypical bible seller that he made everyone believe. He convinced Hulga to go on a date where he took her fake leg. Each person has their own pain that causes them to do their actions that we do not know
about.
“Good Country People” is a story about Joy Hopewell, a very well educated young woman living in the rural south. Joy lost a leg in a hunting accident when she was ten and since then had been forced to wear a wooden replacement. She also had a weak heart and it was this affliction that forced her to remain amongst these “good country people” whom she considered to be intellectual inferiors. Though she had great confidence in her intelligence she had very little self-esteem. Joys’ handicap made her feel ugly, so ugly that much to her mothers’ dismay, she had her name legally changed to the ugliest one she could think of, Hulga. One day a traveling bible salesman named Manley Pointer made a sales call and ended up having dinner with the family.
In "Good Country People," Flannery O'Connor skillfully presents a story from a third-person point of view, in which the protagonist, Joy-Hulga, believes that she is not one of those good country people. Joy is an intelligent and educated but emotionally troubled young woman, struggling to live in a farm environment deep in the countryside of the southeast United States, where she feels that she does not belong. Considering herself intellectually superior to the story's other characters, she experiences an epiphany that may lead her to reconsider her assumptions. Her experience marks a personal transition for her and constitutes the story's theme--the passage from naïveté to knowledge.
Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People" In "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor, uses symbolism in the choice of names, almost to the point of being ironic and humorous. These names center around the personality and demeanor of the characters. Hulga, once known as Joy, simply changed her name because it was the ugliest she could think of.
O’Connor, Flannery. “Essays and Letters On ‘Good Country People’” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. 233-234.
The story “Good Country People”, by Flannery O’Conner is a work that uses characterization in a new and interesting way to help shape and present the characters of this story. One of the main characters is Hulga Hopewell, also known as Joy Hopewell. This characters name plays a very ironic role in the story. Through the use of such a peculiar name O’Conner helps to develop and build the characteristics of Hulga. In the story “Good Country People” the use of the name Hulga (Joy) Hopewell helps to further build upon the characterization of Hulga and give the reader a deeper understanding of the character.
He has qualities of “good country people” by selling bibles and “not attending college but devotes his life to Christian service” (178). His appearance and name is a great symbol that signifies of something that is not real which connects to Hulga’s name. Manley’s name has an impact towards Hulga because his name signifies a manly figure which is a missing part in Hulga’s life. On the other hand his last name Pointer symbolizes great divulge of something amazing that will stand out in Hulga’s way. However his name is seen as a false and in reality symbolizes the emptiness of a male presence and the revelation that her life consists of only falsities. O’Conner also used a great mirror description between a bible and his name. Manly pulled out two bibles though one “was hollow and contained a pocket flask of whisky, a pack of cards and a small blue box with printing on it” (192). O’Conner used this hallow bible filled with several profane and contrary items as a symbolism to expose the meaning of Manley’s true self character. Manley is seen as a true nihilist, and through his name, hollow bible and false Christian morals he has revealed himself towards Hulga, as a true meaning of simply believing in nihilistic
...dly evil character, The Misfit, is able to help the grandmother to find grace makes him redeemable as well. Whatever the reason was for Flannery O’Connor to write A Good Man Is Hard To Find, it will forever be one of her best works as well as one of the best and most unusual short stories of all time.
"Good Country People", by Flannery O’Connor, presents us with a look into the monotonous lives of three women living together on a rural farm. All three women are set in their old-fashioned ways, having experienced very little of life, out on the farm. A bible salesman named Manley Pointer, appearing like nothing more than simple, "good country people"(1), pays them a visit one day. It turns out that this simple countryboy is actually a brilliant con artist who scams the pretentious daughter, Hulga (also known as Joy) into removing her wooden leg, which he proceeds to steal. A great change in Hulga is triggered by her experience with Manley Pointer. Although it was a cruel scam, the bible salesman helps her to see the truth about her education and human nature. Hulga realizes that in addition to book smarts, people skills are also crucial in navigating the real world.
The story is center around a small cast. In it Mrs. Hopewell and her daughter Joy, who had her name changed to Hulga, live on a farm with their tenants Mrs. Freeman’s and her two daughters- Glynese and Carramae. Interestingly, Mrs. Hopewell calls the Freeman Girls, Glycerin and Caramel while refusing to call her own daughter anything but Joy. “Good County People”, is told through the interactions of this dysfunctional gaggle of ladies, and their chance encounter with the Bible selling con-artist Manley Pointer. It is a story of a few not so, “Good Country People.”
In “Good Country People,” O’Connor effectively symbolizes Christian hypocrisy in her narrative. The same man who is selling bibles is the one who carries “a pocket flask of whisky and a pack of cards” (“Good Country People,” 289), in his hollowed-out bible. A bible salesman using a hollowed-out bible as storage for whisky represents those who use religion to cover up for their sins and achieve society’s approval. Additionally, in Revelation, a person’s name symbolizes the sole theme of the narrative. While Mrs. Turnip is busy denouncing other people’s appearances in the waiting room, a girl named Mary Grace exposes Mrs. Turnip for who she really is, and tells her to “go back to hell, where [she comes] from, [and calls Mrs. Turnip an] old wart hog” (“Revelation”, 21). Although Mrs. Turnip believes she is a noble person, Mary Grace symbolizes the need for grace in Mrs. Turnip’s life for her to become aware of the ugliness that lies beneath her beautiful face, and clean skin. Furthermore, symbolism is a significant element in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” The Misfit arrives in “a big black bettered hearse-like automobile” (“AMIHTF,” 6). The car designed to carry coffins, indicates and symbolizes the family’s death, and all the others that the Misfit
Her artificial leg is made from wood, not flesh and bone. Her “superior intelligence” comes from books, not real world experiences. In actuality, Hulga’s artificial leg and “superior intelligence” are completely useless. Hulga’s poor eyesight symbolizes her blindness to reality. Hulga’s poor vision prevents from seeing through Manley’s disguise as a good country boy. Instead of seeing what’s inside of people, Hulga only sees superficial traits. Hulga’s eyeglasses do not help her to see Manley’s wicked intentions. Hulga spends all of her time reading philosophy books to learn about the world, instead of learning about the world through real interaction. Hulga also associates her doctoral degree with her intellectual superiority to “good country people.” Hubbard states that Hulga defines good country people as people who can be easily seduced because of their simplicity and lack of knowledge. It is ironic that a young, simple-minded boy could manipulate an intellectually superior woman. Hulga’s weak heart symbolizes her emotional weakness to seduction and her lack of compassion for others (Oliver). Manley seduces Hulga to the point where she wants to be a part of him. O’Conner states that Hulga allowing Manley to remove her artificial leg “was like surrendering to him completely. It was like losing her own life and finding it again, miraculously, in his.” Because Hulga
In A Good Man Is Hard to Find, O’Connor gives brilliant support to the theme, even going so far as stating it in the title itself. Through her creative details and intentional use of rhetoric, O’Connor strengthens the idea that the true definition of a ‘good man’ is skewed and difficult to pinpoint. Defining a ‘good man’ varies because it is individualized from reader to reader and a generic definition cannot be composed. This gothic piece of literature is realistic, and through its theme, the reader is exposed to the flaws of society as a whole.
The first name Manley, might suggest to the reader that he will fill a male void for Hulga. The reader is told that Mr. and Mrs. Hopewell are devoiced and there is no other mention of her father in the story. Also, the fact that Hugla sees herself as being hideous suggest that she probably doesn’t have many if any male suiters. While the last name Pointer, could suggest that he will most likely reveal, or point out something in Hugla’s life. Manley is a skilled conman and is able to trick both Mrs. Hopewell, who believes that he is good christian and Hulga, who thinks she is to smart to be fooled by anyone. At the end of the story the reader learns that not only is Manley not a bible salesman, but that his name isn’t even Pointer. “You needn’t to think you’ll catch me because Pointer ain’t really my name. I use a different name at every house I call”(O’Connor 1644). He then goes on to say to Hulga “ you ain’t that smart”(O’Connor 1644). Manley had tricked Hulga into thinking that he was a good Christian and that he was interested in her sexually, but really what he wanted was her false leg and some might also suggest to humiliate her.
In the story “Good Country People”, by Flannery O’ Connor Joy/Hulga wants to seduce bible salesman Manley Pointer. When Manly pointer comes onto the scene he seems like a holy rolling, bible thumping, good ol’ country boy. He comes into the home that Mrs. Hopewell and Joy/Hulga resides into and attempts to sell Mrs. Hopewell a bible. Mrs. Hopewell doesn’t necessarily want to buy a bible but does recognize Manly Pointer as “just the salt of the earth” (pg. 2531). Manley pointer states in the story that he decided to devote his “…life to Chrustian service” (pg. 2529). Joy/Hulga just isn’t having this. She is a self-proclaimed atheist and has her PhD in philosophy. She believes that she has caught the eye of Manly Pointer because she noted how he
Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People" is a story told through the examination of the relationships between the four main characters. All of the characters have distinct feelings about the others, from misunderstanding to contempt. Both Joy-Hulga, the protagonist, and Manley Pointer, the antagonist, are multi-faceted characters. While all of the characters have different levels of complexity, Joy-Hulga and Manley Pointer are the deepest and the ones with the most obvious facades.