e it represents her inability to decide. She wants that new life but she is also comfortable with the "familiar objects from which she had never dreamed of being divided (Joyce)." The unknown frightens her and, before long, she convinces herself that she did not find her present life a "wholly undesirable life (Joyce)." She is paralyzed by fear and, in the end, the unknown becomes more of a risk than a blessing and she cannot bring herself to move forward. Her paralyzed state is quite different than that of Hulga. In "Good Country People," Hulga is paralyzed because she becomes a victim. It is important to realize that she becomes a victim of Manley and of her own self-righteousness. She is a victim of her own self-righteousness because she thinks so well of herself that she lets her defenses down. She does not see Manley as an equal and therefore allows herself to be duped by him. In turn, she becomes his victim because he manipulates her and he plays on her weaknesses. As a result, she experiences a remarkable transformation. Hulga is forced to look at life through a different lens and it is not pleasant for her. She must face her demons as she sits alone in the loft. As it is with most people, she must lose almost everything she has before she begins to see the truth
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