Epiphany of a Tragedy as Seen in Joy/Hulga

Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” depicts the protagonist’s transition from rejection to acceptance in religious beliefs. In our modern technology driven time, many of us could relate with Joy’s disbelief in religion. Yet as the story progresses, Joy reevaluates her viewpoints on faith when she encounters a problem with what seems to be a good Christian character. Manley Pointer is the Bible salesman that cons Joy and leaves a life-changing impact on her.

The twisted story by O’Connor initially portrays Joy as having a rude and short-answered character. At the young age of ten she lost her leg and attracted a heart problem that limited h

Hulga initially views the religious country people as far much inferior to her. In fact, there was no time allocated for religious services in Hulga’s philosophy driven life. Thus, as Manley Pointer takes interest in her, Hulga thinks he is another “simple country person”. Yet later, it is Pointer, the simple religious boy, who ends up outwitting Hulga and making her reconsider her views on life.

During their picnic, Pointer takes Hulga to a loft on top a barn. The curious bible salesman asks Hulga to remove her artificial leg as a sign of love and trust. At this point Pointer is beginning to be the seducer, not Hulga, as she initially believed. She hesitates at first, and then states, “All right,” while removing her leg. It was like surrendering to him completely, affirms O’Connor (404). The author continues, “It was like loosing her own life and finding it again, miraculously, in him” (O’Connor 404). Pointer then opens his bag that contained his Bibles for sale. He places Hulga’s leg out of reach and pulls out a flask of whiskey, spreads a pack of pornographic cards in front of her, and hands her a box of condoms. Now Hulga begins to question Manley Pointer’s true personality and motives. The loft scene culminates in Hulga’s strikingly ironic claim that Manley is a “perfect Chri

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