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Good Country People Book Summary
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Published: June 24, 2007
The Relevance of the Title ‘Good Country People’ in Flannery O’ Connor’s Short Story
The story is a manifestation of Mrs. Hopewell’s favourite sayings like ‘nothing is perfect’, and ‘it takes all kinds to make the world’. Although she makes these statements in a positive way, People are different in their faults as well.
Hulga, the daughter of Mrs. Hopewell is an honest character, because she does not pretend to be much better on the surface than she is, she is never in disguise. For example, when she is asked by her mother to join her in her walking, she does not hide her making faces. Her reaction to Mrs. Hopewell’s resentment is also very natural: ‘If you want me, here I am-LIKE I AM.’
This is why she decides to change her name from Joy, which is not a relevant attribute to her. She considers this deed of her as ‘her highest creative act’, because being physically disabled (one of her legs is wooden), she does not have much say in her life, she does not have a fend for herself. At least this is the only thing she could change, ‘her personal affair’.
It is not accidental that the name ‘Hulga’ is a bit similar to Vulcan in its sounding. During her life she was shut up within boundaries, and having her name changed was an outbreak that Vulcans do.
She has her own opinions about Christians, and she takes the courage to express it. She knows that the Christianity of her mother and Mrs. Freeman’s is not authentic, although they are very satisfied with themselves. They call each other ‘good country people’, but Mrs. Hopewell lies calmly to the salesman, while Mrs. Freeman is fond of deformities.
Hulga is a philosophical character. Someone who has inner sight, who is not aware of the look of her own surroundings, but who feels the others around herself. ‘She didn’t realize he had taken her glasses but this landscape could not seem exceptional to her for she seldom paid any attention to her surroundings.’
However, lacking any experiences, she trusts the salesman at first, but maybe it was due to her search of a reliable Good country person. Someone who is not a pretender, but on the same wavelength as her. Realizing the truth, she can’t help putting the liar in the same group as her mother and Mrs. Freeman. ‘You are a fine Christian! You are just like them all-say one thing and do another.’
The salesman, the so-called Manley Pointer is the worst, being totally two-faced. He is speaking about the importance of the word of God against his convictions. He pretends to be honest but is wicked inside, exploiting helpless people, like Hulga, shamelessly.
In conclusion, these people really flavour the earth and make it colourful, but not in a positive way as it is considered by Mrs. Hopewell. As her names suggests, she just hopes to be a good country person. Here, a good man is also hard to find.
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