Flannery O' Conner's: Good Country People - Essay Example

Flannery O Conners "Good Country People” Introduction In "Good Country People," O Conners relates the title to a characteristic common to the characters. The author has used various characters in her story to bring out its theme. Mrs. Hopewell, her daughter Joy/Hulga, Mrs. Freeman and her two daughters Glynese and Carramae, Lyman who is Carramae’s husband, Harvey Hill and Manley Pointer. Analysis of the Story An individual who is to be considered as a good country person is one who is empathic – one who thinks of other people’s feelings and is able to put themselves in the shoes of their counterparts in certain situations. Also, to be a good country person entails being understanding. This means that the person gets to understand and accept other people as they are. Being there and looking after the welfare of other individuals is also a character that a good country person is not supposed to miss. This implies being caring and mindful of other people’s well-being without being compelled by others to do so. Honesty is also considered a component that should be there in every individual for them to fit as good country people. Honesty includes not trying to hide feelings and true intentions towards other people. Most of the characters in O Conners book in one way or another have shortcomings towards achieving the characters of good country people. Considering all the characters in the story and their behaviors, Mrs. Hopewell has in a special way portrayed herself as having most of the characteristics that befits a country person. She is empathic in the sense that after learning about the type of woman Mrs. Freeman is after employing her, she decides not to try and change her and instead puts her in a position that best fits her character (OConnor 1). Mrs. Freeman is put in charge of everything. Mrs. Freeman understands her daughter’s attitude as portrayed when she asks Joy to accompany her to the fields where she refuses and utters remarks that hurt her to which she does not get angry. On the other hand, when Joy changes her name legally to Hulga, without informing her, she is hurt but she associates all this to Joy’s disturbed past. It hurts her to think of her poor thirty year old daughter who has never enjoyed any good times in life (OConnor 1). Although she does not show it openly, Mrs. Hopewell loves and cares for her daughter. This is seen among other cases when Pointer talks about his heart condition she’s almost in tears as she understands her own daughter’s illness and urges the young man to stay for dinner hoping that at least her daughter will have someone to talk to who had the same condition as she does. She tolerates Joy’s hurting remarks and coldness and even looks for ways of cheering her up to which Joy responds with rudeness. Mrs. Hopewell’s patient nature makes her cope well with Mrs. Freeman. Mrs. Freeman’s frequent arrivals during meal time and standing on the doorway or against the wall while the others are dining is an intolerable behavior which Mrs. Hopewell patiently keeps up with her realization that there was nothing perfect (OConnor 3). She is also patient with her daughter who is always rude, bloated and squint eyed as she describes her. When Pointer was feeding her up with stories about his past and family she listens all through although she does not stifle yawns. This shows that she is tired, sleepy or bored. She does not send him off but patiently listens to him. When Pointer first appears at Mrs. Hopewell’s door, he presents himself in a manner that portrays he is a harmless young man. He greets her with cheer He describes himself as a country boy and presents himself with the courteousness of a gentleman in the dining table which is a notable character of good country people (OConnor 7). When asked to talk about himself he does so in an open manner especially in regard to his heart condition and his family. This convinces Mrs. Hopewell that he is honest and even wins her over. When he approaches Joy outside, his expressions of fascination, admiration and curiosity manages to convince her that he is trustworthy. This makes her accept to accompany him to the gate and even agrees to go with him the following day on a picnic. Manley Pointer’s way of presenting himself as a good country person enables him to win the trust of Mrs. Hopewell who invites him for dinner and even urges him to stay for a little longer time after meals as they talk. He manages to convince Joy to accompany him to the woods and wins her affections when she accepts to get intimate with him in the barn (OConnor 7). Joy agrees to show Pointer the point where her artificial leg joins her stump after he insists and goes ahead to show him how to take it off and put it back. Manley uses the trust he has won over Joy to steal her wooden artificial leg and her glasses. Before he goes through the hall in the barn he tells her about how he has gotten things he considers interesting. He goes ahead and reveals how he does not appreciate his true identity hence Hulga he cannot be captured easily and with these he disappears. Joy comes to believe and even trust Manley Pointer. Manley presents her with a liquor bottle and also sees the obscene pictures at the back of the cards, she implies that she thought he was a good country person (OConnor 17). It is because of the belief that Pointer is a good country person that she agrees to be with him. She tells him that he is a Christian and should give her back her leg. This indicates that in spite of her different perspective at the beginning, she actually believes in the concept of good country people. Works Cited OConnor Flannery. Good Country People. Nd. 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