The religious symbolism and un

The short story “Good Country People,“ by Flannery O’Connor, is a work that uses both irony and symbolism to convey to the reader a religious message. The heroine, Hulga Hopewell, is a stocky atheistic woman in her early 30’s who lost a leg in a hunting accident when she was ten. She holds a PhD but seems to be inexperienced in worldly matters. When a traveling bible salesman of 19 arrives she is initially scornful, but she later warms to him when she learns of his debilitating heart condition. Imagining that with her superior intellect she could seduce him, she leads him to the top of a hayloft. He wins her trust and convinces her to take off her prosthetic leg. The tables turn, however, when he opens the false bottom of the bible to reveal a flask of whiskey, some pornographic cards, and a box of prophylactics. He then keys her to the gruesome fact that he has made of practice of stealing prosthetics of the handicapped. The author uses style, tone, setting, and especially irony and symbolism to build up to the deep religious undertone of the work.

The story takes place in a rural setting on a farm owned by Mrs. Hopewell, Hulga

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The reader is left with a feeling that Hulga Hopewell may just have reaped what she has sown. Hulga is being punished for her sacrilegious ways. This is her most vulnerable area emotionally, and it is symbolic of intimacy and trust.

The ironies present in “Good Country People” are central to the very theme of the story. Finally, the climax of the story brings about an ironic twist.

25 Jan 2004

setting. ” (O’Connor, 398)

The author is trying to convey that Hulga views herself in a pompous god-like way. It is clearly the author’s intent to attack her atheism. As if she is elevated from the common folk or “good country people,”. Her complete surrender to the bible salesman that she was initially trying to seduce is symbolic of her search for God, in spite of her denial of his existence.

Common topics in this essay:
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Approximate Word count = 1637
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

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