First of all, Mrs. Hopewell’s name is very symbolic of the good that there is in her. Hopewell is an interesting name because it sort of alludes to part of her disposition. She is always “hoping well” for her daughter and her neighbors. Her favorite sayings are “Nothing is perfect, that is life,” and “well, other people have their opinions too”(131). This is suggesting that she is a care- free person who always looks for the best in everything. She also said that “people who looked on the bright side of things would be beautiful even if they were not”(133). Mrs. Hopewell always looked for the good in everyone. She didn’t care wh

I use a different name at every house I call at and don’t stay nowhere long”(142). This is suggesting that he has fooled many people like he fooled Hulga. In “Good Country People” Pointer poses as a Bible salesman in this short story. A good Christian man, a man who should be there to “point” you in the right direction. But the story later suggests that Manly Pointer is not the man that the author portrays him as at the beginning. O’Connor suggests that he is the devil himself, with his “pointy“ horns and tail. Hulga thought she was going to seduce this young innocent Christian man, then things took a drastic turn. Manly Pointer had other plans in his mind. And when Hulga asked him what he was doing, and “aren‘t you just good county people?” (142) while they were in the barn, he replied, “I hope you don’t think that I believe in all that crap! I may sell Bibles, but I know which end is up and I wasn’t born yesterday and I know where I am going!” (142) So the very intelligent Joy/Hulga was the innocent one that day. She thought that she was the expert on nothingness, but quickly realizes that she has found someone that knows a lot more about it then she does. Manley Pointer was not the good Christian man she thought he was, that was just a cover to get people to trust him. So the innocent, dull Bible salesman Mrs. Hopewell, Mrs. Freeman, and Joy/Hulga thought he was, was far from the truth. Just because a person seems really nice and Christian like, it isn’t always that w

Some topics in this essay:
Manly Pointer, Manley Pointer, Joy Hopewell, Flannery O’Connor, People” Pointer, Country People”, Freeman Joy/Hulga, Pointer Christian, Pointer Joy, short story, “good country, “good country people”, O’ Connor, country people”, manly pointer, manley pointer, story “good country, expert nothingness, freeman joy/hulga, symbolism names, bible salesman, story “good, short story “good,