Flannery O'Connor's Good Country People

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Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People"

In "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor, uses symbolism

in the choice of names, almost to the point of being ironic and humorous.

These names center around the personality and demeanor of the characters.

Hulga, once known as Joy, simply changed her name because it was the

ugliest she could think of. Mrs. Freeman's name is ironic because she is

burdened by the land that she works, so is not really free. Mrs. Hopewell?s

name is also ironic, because she trys to provide hope, but is in fact empty in

her talk. Each one of these characters names, Hulga, Mrs. Freeman, and

Mrs. Hopewell, show the symbolism used by Flannery O'Connor.

Hulga, the daughter to Mrs. Hopewell, was actually named Joy at

birth. At the age of ten, Joy lost one of her legs in a hunting accident, and

from that point on became a depressed realist. At the age of twenty one, Joy

moved out of the house, went to college, and legally changed her name to

Hulga. Hulga most likely changes her name to spite her mother, because

Joy is such a beautiful name and Hulga is such an ugly one. ?She [Hulga]

had arrived at it first purely on the basis of its ugly sound and then the full

genius of its fitness had struck her...She saw it as the name of her highest

creative act.? Hulga alo changes her name because of the true way she feels

inside. Hulga is the ugliest name she could think of and it shows her

inability to love or become close to anyone. ?One of...

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