Manley forces Hulga to realize she is not the thought woman she wants to be and he forces Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman that not all country people are good.
Hulga is not the strong women she attempts to be, however, and nothing demonstrates this more than her reaction to Manley's treatment of her. In the home with the two older women, Hulga can express herself as she wishes because she knows these women will excuse her at the end of the day. Mrs. Hopewell has done this for most of Hulga's life so Hulga does not feel threatened by Manley. Hugla's view of the world is severely skewed. She believes she knows everything and brags about that, stating, "Some of us have taken off our blindfolds and see that there's nothing to see. It's a kind of salvation" (273). Her education is limited to the confines of her world and Manley forces her to come to terms with this notion as he...
Until she was left, she saw only wanted she wanted to see and when Manley takes her strength from her, he shows her another part of the world and herself. Joy never actually becomes Hulga because she is living a false dream rather than a real life.
Things are rarely what they appear to be - especially when it comes to people. "Good Country People" reveals this through superb characterization. Manley is perceived as simple by Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman. They think he is salt of the earth when he is really a sneaky young man that takes advantage of the actual simple people in life like Mrs. Hopewell, Mrs. Freeman, and Hulga. O'Conner's commentary suggests that good country people are not so good, regardless of cliches.
Work Cited
O'Connor, Flannery. "Good Country People." American 24-Karat Gold. New York:…
