What Is The Relationship Between Joy Hopewell And Manley Pointer
In the short story “Good Country People,” Flannery O’Connor utilizes the characters Joy Hopewell and Manley Pointer to expose how believing in nothing makes a person isolated and spiritually empty. Joy Hopewell is a well-educated, thirty-two year old atheist with an artificial leg. Joy's lack of belief causes her to lose all the human civility and decency she has. She even changes her name to Hulga. Flannery O'Connor's use of the mythological Trickster persona to seek, attract, and repulse the protagonist Joy-Hulga leads to her spiritual enlightenment. Manley Pointer through the Trickster persona seeks out the Hopewells, specifically Hulga. From the beginning the Bible salesman uses the svelte and persuasive words used by the Trickster. Pointer
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Pointer uses his silver tongue to convince disagreeable Hulga to accompany him on a picnic the next day. The con-artist tells Hulga, “I think you're brave. I think you're real sweet” and then later asks her, “Don’t you think some people was meant to meet on account of what all they got in common and all? Like they both think serious thoughts and all?” Manley is establishing a connection between Hulga and himself to make himself seem more attractive. Manley Pointer further personifies the mythological Trickster persona when he shows up the next day for their picnic in a broad-rimmed hat, and he's also described as very tall, “Then suddenly he stood up, very tall, from behind a bush on the opposite embankment. Smiling, he lifted his hat which was new and wide-brimmed.” These are two physical traits of the mythological Trickster persona. As they reach the barn, Pointer tricks Hulga and baits her into climbing up to the second floor where the climax of the story occurs. The Trickster fools Hulga by acting innocently as he “pointed up the ladder that led into the loft and said, 'It’s too bad we can’t go up there,'” implying that she can't do it because of her handicap, so she quickly proves him wrong. Hulga's pride and feeling of superior intellect blind her from seeing that she's being duped by the
Pointer uses his silver tongue to convince disagreeable Hulga to accompany him on a picnic the next day. The con-artist tells Hulga, “I think you're brave. I think you're real sweet” and then later asks her, “Don’t you think some people was meant to meet on account of what all they got in common and all? Like they both think serious thoughts and all?” Manley is establishing a connection between Hulga and himself to make himself seem more attractive. Manley Pointer further personifies the mythological Trickster persona when he shows up the next day for their picnic in a broad-rimmed hat, and he's also described as very tall, “Then suddenly he stood up, very tall, from behind a bush on the opposite embankment. Smiling, he lifted his hat which was new and wide-brimmed.” These are two physical traits of the mythological Trickster persona. As they reach the barn, Pointer tricks Hulga and baits her into climbing up to the second floor where the climax of the story occurs. The Trickster fools Hulga by acting innocently as he “pointed up the ladder that led into the loft and said, 'It’s too bad we can’t go up there,'” implying that she can't do it because of her handicap, so she quickly proves him wrong. Hulga's pride and feeling of superior intellect blind her from seeing that she's being duped by the