Thursday, May 7, 2015

What does Mrs.Hopewell mean by the phrase "good country people"?

"Good country people" refers to those whom Mrs. Hopewell sees as simple and moral. They are the opposite of how she views her own daughter, Hulga, who revels in her nihilism and uses her education to demonstrate her supposed superiority. The "good country people" are seen as innocent, as opposed to the experience that Hulga imagines herself to have, and the experience that Manley Pointer actually has.


Many of O'Connor's stories deomnstrate irony in the title. This story is no different. Hulga seeks to tempt and corrupt Manley Pointer, seeing him as a simple Bible salesman. Yet he turns out to be more corrupt than she could imagine. He steals her leg, & when she pleads, “Aren’t you just good country people?” he replies, “I hope you don’t think that I believe in that crap! I may sell Bibles but I know which end is up and I wasn’t born yesterday and I know where I’m going!” Thus, the "good country people" turn out to be a lie.

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