Ha Jin's Decision Marriage In Good Country People

When facing the reality of their mortality, people often panic and make impetuous actions.
Hong, from Taking a Husband by Ha Jin, is forced into a decision marriage as a result of her father’s death. The death of Hong’s father signifies that she would be her family’s last hope to rise from poverty and come to power. Under the pressure of time, Hong must decide who to marry in order to gain power bring prestige to her family. Hulga, from Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor, would try to find freedom with her already shortened lifespan. Desperate to be freed from the chains of her mother, Hulga must decide whether her mortality is enough to convince her to go on a date with a stranger. While the constraint on time forces Hong to take a husband by chance with lots, it also contributes to Hulga’s impulsive decision to go out with a complete stranger.

The death of Hong’s father induces Hong’s realization of her and her family’s mortality.

Before her father’s death, Hong had lived a comfortable life, as her father held a position of power. However, “After her father died of bone cancer, life was hard for the Chens. [...] By now, both the mother and daughter had experienced the difficulty and humiliation caused by lacking power in their own hands. (Jin 560)” Along with the hardships after her father’s death came the realization of Hong’s purpose in life―to elevate her family’s place and prestige in society. Blinded by her pursuit for power, Hong would eventually find herself at a standpoint, suddenly having to choose a husband and marry for power. Facing a deadline for her choice, Hong picked her husband through lots, as she did have love for any of her suitors. As did Hong, Hulga would also fail to properly set out her life due to the restraint of

time.
In a similar fashion to Hong, Hulga’s realization of her mortality was recognized through a tragic moment of her life. When Hulga was a child, her leg had “Been literally been blasted off.(O’Connor 4)” during a hunting session. In addition to losing a leg, Hulga later discovered that from the doctor that she would have a shortened life span. ”She had a weak heart. Joy had made it plain that if it had not been for this condition, she would be far from these red hills and good country people.(O’Connor 4)” These two factors would greatly contribute to shaping the cruel reality of which Hulga had a handicap on her life, a limit of time. Having been given an opportunity, Hulga desperately reached out and with the consideration of her reduced mortality and constraint on time, went out with an outright stranger in an attempt to find happiness.
Having been misdirected by their realization of mortality, Hong and Hulga’s impulsive decisions would end the two stories, with their ultimate ruination of their life. Hong would fall into eternal grief and regret when the position of vice chairman did not go to her husband, signaling her failure to bring her family to power. Hulga would realize her mistake of going out with a stranger when he reveals his true intentions and attempts to rape her, turning what might have been a happy moment of her life to another tragedy. If Hong and Hulga did not make their decisions out of panic due to the restraint on time, their stories might’ve had a better ending. Conclusively, Hong and Hulga were forced into irrational thinking and impetuous actions due to the constraint of time, which lead to the imminent downfalls of the two characters.