Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” tells the tale of Hulga Hopewell, a disabled yet intellectually stimulated thirty year old living in the countryside with her mother. Hulga lugs her wooden leg around with an aloof spirit and suffers from a heart condition. Her academic achievements issued her a place above the rest of society and this caused her to grow “less like other people and more like herself-bloated, rude, and squinted-eyed”. Hulga’s sudden meeting with bible salesman Manley Pointer reinforces her distaste toward Christianity and her belief in atheism. However, after hearing about Pointer’s similar heart condition, Hulga’s immediately changes her perspective. She becomes engaged in conversation with Pointer and quickly becomes empathetic because of his pitiful background.
Hulga and Pointer’s relationship eventually develops into a romantic one. Hulga trusts Pointer to the point where she agrees to remove her artificial leg for him to marvel at. He states he is intrigued by Hulga’s leg because that is what makes Hulga special. Hulga hesitantly removes her wooden leg and Pointer relocates it in a place out of reach. Hulga hisses at Pointer and he replies with “ I may sell bibles, but I know exactly where I’m going”. Pointer elaborates on his past schemes and belittles Hulga as he disappears.
O’Connor concludes with Mrs.Hopewell praising Pointer’s persona of Christian simplicity. Her friend states, “some cant be that simple, I know I never could”. Mrs. Hopewell believed that since Pointer led a simple life, he led a good life. Hugla also became a victim of Pointer’s exploitation because of his two-faced nature. I think O’Connor pushing us to look past personas and find the truth behind the person, since good people are difficult to find.
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