Question

1. In "Good Country People," Hulga needs to awaken to her own personal flaws. What does she need to realize about herself? Hulga has several physical issues, and of course O'Connor is not making fun of disabled people; rather she is using Hulga's wooden leg, myopic vision, and heart problems as metaphors - but for what? What do Hulga's problems signify? Does she have a realization by story's end? Narrow and focus.

Answer 1

• I think that Hulga finally realized that she is not the smartest person in the world and that there are more to some people than meet the eye. Originally Hulga thought she knew a lot about life, how things happen, and who people are. The bible salesman seemed like a rude awakening for her because it made her realize that even though she's an extremely intelligent woman, she doesn't know everything and that she isn't always right about people.Through her experience Hugla realized her own weaknesses and insecurities, along with the fact that just because she had a Ph.D degree, it didn't make her the smartest person alive. She also learned a lot about life, and how not everyone will turn out exactly how you interpreted them.

• She needs to realize that you cannot make assumptions about someone based on the way things appear and that she is not as smart as she thinks she is. Do not judge a book by its cover.

• There are several interpretations of the artificial leg of Hulga.analyzing the instances in which the “leg” and Mrs. Hopewell appear together suggests a certain meaning, that the leg must be a symbol of her daughter’s loneliness, unhappiness and oddity. Even Hulga making noises with her leg showcases dislike towards her mother of not showcasing motherly care towards her during her childhood.The leg is an artificial bond linking Joy’s childhood with the moment of the fatal accident and her entry into adulthood.The distorted body showcased her cynicism towards the world and the feeling of incompleteness. Not having faith in God and having a superiority complex were all symbols to hide her insecurities. The leg represents her soul which she believes doesnt exists.Despite her facade of apathy, blindness, and anger, she wants to be accepted the way she is, which noone has ever done.

• In the end,she does realizes that she isnt that smart. It ends with an incompletedness in her after her leg gets removed,she is suspended not only literally but figuratively as well,as the story ends before she has the opportunity to make use of what she has experienced. This incompleteness was the same thing she was running away from through her superiority and atheism and now she was left with that only.