Joy-Hulga from “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor and Dee-Wangero from “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker are strong protagonists who share similar motives and characteristics. Joy-Hulga and Dee-Wangero both change their names in an attempt to change themselves. They both share comparable motives and reasoning for changing their names. Similarly, Joy-Hulga and Dee-Wangero act selfishly while try to escape something from their past. Joy-Hulga and Dee-Wangero both alienate themselves from their mothers while in search of their authentic inner self. Joy-Hulga and Dee-Wangero are hiding from past childhood events, both consciously and subconsciously. Although their motives and characteristics are alike, their backgrounds and heritage are extremely diverse.
Joy-Hulga and Dee-Wangero share the same motive and reasoning for changing their names, to gain autonomy while changing themselves. Joy changes her name to Hulga because it is ugly like her disposition and completely opposite of her given name. Joy-Hulga is not only trying to anger her mother, but also attempt to change herself. When Joy-Hulga turns twenty-one, she immediately leaves home and changes her name in an “attempt to redirect her life,” without telling her mother until after she does so (Feeley 236). Joy changes her name to Hulga, which Mrs. Hopewell is certain that she only chose because it was the “ugliest” name she had come across “in any language” (O’Connor 190). Joy chooses the name Hulga at first because of “its ugly sound” but then perceives it as one of her “major triumphs” (190). Joy-Hulga successfully changes her name, displeases her mother, and reestablishes herself. Conversely, Dee changes her name to Wangero to rebel against her heritage and...
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... and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. 2137-2138.
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A common aspect of Flannery O’Connor’s literary works is her use of heavily flawed characters. O’Connor’s characters often exhibit gothic and incongruous characteristics. O’Connor’s short story, “Good Country People,” is no exception to her traditional writing style with characters such as Hulga Hopewell, Mrs. Hopewell, Mrs. Freeman, and Manley Pointer. O’Connor uses gothic characterization and symbolism to produce a great short story about a few ruthless country people.
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Anyone who has had the opportunity to take time to read and work with the fiction of Flannery O 'Connor, cannot fail to be impressed by the level of quality in its production. According to Michael Meyer in his book The Bedford Introduction to literature, “Despite her brief life and relatively modest output her work is regarded among the most distinguished American fiction of the mid-twentieth century.” She wrote two novels and a total of thirty one short stories (420). Critics, reviewers, including sophisticated readers use the word powerful to describe her work. Firstly because of its quality, for example the mordantly comic characters, the strong narrative lines and the violence which are depicted so brilliantly. Secondly the totality of her vision and the entire expression of her imagination are combine to generate her literary power (Asal, 1). During her brief career the most predominant form of writing for Flannery was short stories, what exactly is a
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