ipl-logo

Good Country People Hulga Symbolism

213 Words1 Page

Not only did Hulga’s wooden leg have a symbolic meaning in the story “Good Country People,” but also the imagery of her spectacles has a symbolic meaning as well. Her glasses symbolically represent the loss of vision and gaining of insight. At the beginning of the story, Hulga is wearing these glasses, which many of us tend to associate with being smart. However she does not gain insight until Manley removes her glasses. It is stated in “Good Country People”, “When her glasses got in his way, he took them off of her and slipped them into his pocket” (O’Conner 1350). At first Hulga does not notice Manley taking off her glasses; however she still carries on trying to seduce Manley. This signals her acceptance to her new vision, and it also demonstrates

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Mrs Seamane And Hulga's

    123 Words  | 1 Pages

    Hulga appreciates Mrs. Freeman because she helps her distinguish a more realistic view life and the world, rather than following the same old good Christian

    Read More

  • The True Meaning Behind The Loyalist Flag

    77 Words  | 1 Pages

    The American Revolution, also known as the American Revolutionary War, was a war between the Great Britain and the 13 British colonies. This war, took place between the years 1775 through 1783. This war was caused by many reasons. One of them being due to the French and Indian war, which made the complication between the British empire and the colonists of north America increase furthermore. But did you know, the true meaning behind the loyalist

    Read More

  • Irony In Good Country People By Flannery O Connor

    1407 Words  | 6 Pages

    (4). The irony here is that it is Hulga that doesn’t look inside and it is Hulga that doesn’t try to understand herself and discover the true potential of her mind and body. The writer portrays Hulga to seem as though she is on top of every situation by making Hulga think she was in control of whatever the outcome with Manley Pointer was set to be, she also assumed Manley Pointer would be easy to seduce when in fact it was Hulga that got seduced, she assumed she was much more powerful and self-control than she really is. Another instance of this is when Hulga though she doesn’t identify as being a Christian or even believe in Christianity she was baffled at the fact that Manley failed to live up to the values of being a Christian as seen when she says, "You're a Christian!" (13). Ruth Holsen writer for Explicator states, “She is longing for innocence, for purification and for an ‘Edenic world’.

    Read More

  • Hulga In Good Country People

    779 Words  | 4 Pages

    Age doesn’t always resemble or account for the level of maturity within ourselves. Instead, our choices are limited and reflected from our experiences, substantiating the transformations that originate from the outcomes. For Hulga in, Good Country People, tolerating with her heart condition, in result impacts her personality and consolidates her character and mind to be defensive. This unhealthy responsibility and the implication of her weak heart, serves to show that there is strength absent and necessary for her to deal with betrayal, masked as love. This motif O’Connor utilizes, not only indicates her physical weakness, but further reveals the magnitude of her flaw, as she struggles emotionally and mentally with deception.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Nihilism In Good Country People

    949 Words  | 4 Pages

    The scene in the barn displays the reality of Hulga's beliefs as they explode in front of her. When Hulga discovers Manley's façade, she realizes the evil of nihilism and the damage nihilism incurs. Manley says "What’s the matter with you all of a sudden?” he asked, frowning as he screwed the top on the flask and put it quickly back inside the Bible. “You just a while ago said you didn’t believe in nothing.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Flannery O Connor Grotesque

    1181 Words  | 5 Pages

    One of the so called good country people, Pointer, lulls Hulga to show him how to take off her wooden leg. When she demands for he leg, he "pushes it farther away with his foot," leaving her totally dependent on him (O'Connor 496). This plotting, sinful man is suppose to be one of those innocent, good country people. Pointer states that he doesn't actually believe in the bible, as seen in the following quote: "I hope you don't think I actually believe in this crap! I may sell Bibles

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Kindred

    952 Words  | 4 Pages

    B) Throughout the novel, Kindred written by Olivia Butler, there are three major characters, Dana, Rufus and Kevin. With this being said, major characters are given personalities that develop throughout the book and are given a significance. But even so, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other characters with a purpose to the book. One of them being Alice Greenwood. The significance of her to be involved in this novel allows Dana to open her eyes, historically speaking, to another kind of pain that slaves go through, and also to view a new side of Rufus she was unaware of.

    Read More

  • Granny Weatherall Symbolism Essay

    1169 Words  | 5 Pages

    The term jilted means to drop impulsively or without feeling. Granny Weatherall’s memories, of being jilted by George, are directly preceded by statements which are symbolizing her children, first being young, and dependent on Weatherall, then coming into the age of being more independent of her. Porter states, “Lighting the lamps had been beautiful. The children huddled up to her and breathed like little calves waiting at the bars in the twilight. Their eyes followed the match and watched the flame rise and settle in a blue curve, then they moved away from her.

    Read More

  • How Does Golding Present Fear In Lord Of The Flies

    824 Words  | 4 Pages

    Piggy’s glasses connects to his integrity because he acted like his true self when he had them on. Also as shown here by the way he instantly reacted to Ralph. Ralph was in the pool, while Piggy is on the side of the pool, then Ralph squirts water onto Piggy and laughs. He thought Piggy was going to just let it go and not do anything, but “Piggy beat the water with his hand” onto Ralph (Golding 131). Piggy demonstrates the lesson he learns because if Ralph had done this in the beginning of the book Piggy would 've just taken it or try to ask him to stop.

    Read More

  • The Story Of Hulga's Lack Of Love

    181 Words  | 1 Pages

    Hulga’s lack of love for self was another misguided life perception that Manley so easily played upon. Hulga really didn’t know or understand love. She didn’t know how it felt to be loved by someone. Hulga felt she was probably unlovable due to her artificial leg. She also thought she wasn’t beautiful.

    Read More

  • Good Country People Hulga Summary

    252 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Good Country People” the main character, Hulga behaves nothing like the traditional women of the time were expected to behave. Hulga’s actions and beliefs were completely against the socially constructed gender roles of 1950’s America. First, Hulga was an educated woman who found pride in being intellectually superior to other people. Hulga acquired a PhD in Philosophy which was very uncommon for a women to do so at the time. In fact, in the 1950’s when this short story was published, women were expected to aspire to be more of housewife than an educated woman, “A 1959 study determined that 37 percent of female college students were leaving school before they graduated, most for marriage” (Gale).

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Good Country People

    868 Words  | 4 Pages

    “...The hunting accident...the leg had been literally blasted off” (O’Connor 484), this sentence mentioned by the author symbolizes Hulga’s personality, because when something very valuable is taken away from someone and they are aware of it, but are not able to react to it, it could change a person drastically. Hulga could have been a totally different women if she had her leg, that’s why the author decided to give her a wooden leg. In the story the author mentions how Hulga does not care about her appearance at all. When she goes on a date with Manley Pointer she wears a dirty white shirt, applies Vapex as perfume, and never smiles. “...

    Read More

  • Analyzing O 'Connor's Good Country People'

    697 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hulga had her own opinion of the Country people being Good. She was trying to fit the bible salesman into her own imaginative character. I don't understand Hulga is an atheist than why she is worried about if the bible salesman is a Good country Christian? Maybe she was living in the state of denial of being an atheist just as she was in denial that all the country people are good people. Another, problem that I saw with Hulga, that she was upset about her wooden leg being taken away from her as this was in her consciences was an attack on her independence.

    Read More

  • Love In Flannery O Connor's Good Country People

    890 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is not until the very end of the story that readers are shown the true character of Manley Pointer. It is possible that the motive for stealing Hulga’s leg is that Mrs. Freeman hired the Bible salesman to steal the artificial leg from her. “Something about her seemed to fascinate Mrs. Freeman and then one day Hulga realized that it was the artificial leg” (O’connor 436). It is interesting that

    Read More

  • Symbolism In America

    138 Words  | 1 Pages

    America the beautiful; O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! This song was made for the beauty of America. The flag represents the thirteen colonies, which were founded in 1607.

    Read More

More about Good Country People Hulga Symbolism

Open Document