"Good Country People" by Flannery O' Connor

My Reflections on “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Conner

     In the story, “Good Country People,” it begins by introducing good, country type people. The characters Mrs. Hopewell and Hulga seem to think differently about good, country people. Hulga seems to feel aloof regarding them until they encounter the salesman. The salesman turns out to be a scam artist in the end. He is not what Mrs. Hopewell and Hulga regard to as good, country people.

     I think the story begins with Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman to give a back story dialogue regarding good, country people from the area and time. Hulga is exposed to good, country people for a long time. She sees how her mom talks with Mrs. Freeman who they think is a good, country person. They have seen how Mrs. Freeman and her family are but her mom thinks of them as good, country people also. So when she encounters the salesman, after being a little distant, she begins to equate him with the good, country people she has been around before. He seems to be a nice Christian person who is trying to sell Bibles. 

     Although very educated, Hulga feels less power when her leg is taken off by the Bible salesman. The salesman changes his entire disposition when he feels Hulga is helpless in the barn loft. Hulga realizes that the salesman is not a good, country person when he does these things. After all, the contents inside his Bible were not very Christian like.. It seems like the salesman had anticipated taking advantage of Hulga in the barn loft because he knew she was an Atheist. Hulga is left feeling like her thoughts about people are still correct. She thinks people pretend to be something like Christian or good, country people, but really are not the way they try to be at all.