Good Country People
The world is full of evil, and whether one knows it or not there is no such thing as a faultless person. Everyone contains a weakness of some sort. The world is not a simple place, and humans are not simple creatures. One must first know themselves before they judge other people. Mrs. Hopewell, Joy-Hulga, Glynese, and Carramae all suffer because they don't understand their own weaknesses. Oftentimes people put on fake fronts and don't really act as they appear. People must feel comfortable with all aspects of themselves, because someone or something will always be there to exploit another person's weaknesses. Situations are not always as they seem, and unless one decides to first look within himself, his weakness will be exploited. Several of the characters in "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor have their lives torn apart by acts of evil. One of Mrs. Hopewell's favorite sayings, "Nothing is perfect", is seen in the very beginning of the novel. Her saying was just that, a saying. The quote acts as foreshadowing for what her attitude towards life will be. We later find out that she is right, but that she does not live by her credo. Mrs. Hopewell, as the name bears, always hopes for the best but bears a weak heart when it com
Several people, as well as objects, in this story appear to be one thing and end up being just the opposite. The most obvious is Manley Pointer who appears to be "good country folk" and ends up being the root of all evil. The Bible carried by Manley turns out to be nothing more than a hiding place for "a pocket flask of whiskey, a pack of cards, and a small blue box with printing on it". Joy-Hulga appears to be comfortable with her situation, but she is still very ashamed of her appearance. Finally, Glynese and Carramae are beautiful and desired girls, but on the inside, the most important part of all, they are a sticky mess. (sticky as their names refer to) Manley Pointer is the main protagonist in this story. Although he doesn't affect the lives of all of the characters, it becomes clear that he acts on behalf of mankind, not just individually. His blatant disrespect for Christianity becomes apparent during his experiences with Joy-Hulga. He says to Joy-Hulga, "I hope you don't think I believe in that crap (referring to the Bible)". Manley's goals become obvious through his trials with Mrs. Hopewell and Joy-Hulga. He makes manipulation and degradation of mankind his main objective in life. "I use a different name at every house call and I don't stay nowhere long". He seems to be all knowing in a way. Joy-Hulga once contemplates "how he had known this" when referring to some information about herself . Even his physical features remind us of the devil. "He had prominent face bones and a streak of sticky-looking brown hair falling across his forehead". Mrs. Hopewell refers to Manley Pointer as "a good country person" who she claims is "the salt of the earth". Unfortunately, evil, as represented by Manley Pointer, is the salt of the earth. es to those suffering from deadly diseases. Manley Pointer, who in some regards can be considered a devil-like character, exploits her weakness in order to receive a free meal and an invitation to return to the house. Manley Pointer's name refers to the power that he contains over, not only Mrs. Hopewell, but
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1390
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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