Good Old Country People-Pride Is Stronger Than You Think Essay

“Good Old Country People” –Pride is Stronger Than Most Think Pride throughout literature has been to a great extent manipulated by writers in positive and negative visible radiations to reflect their intended intent. In the bulk of Flannery O’Conner‘s narratives. characters who have pride exude more haughtiness than they do assurance. and as a consequence these characters condescend towards those of lower criterions. In “Good Country People. ” O’Conner onslaughts pride to be a negative influence on society in which the cardinal character Hulga has so much pride that she condescends towards others.

Here. Hulga condescends towards her female parent. Mrs. Freeman. and the bible salesman by handling them as idiots and is finally punished for it by losing her leg. O’Conner defines Hulga’s pride but lets the reader determine and assail how negative it is and hence how appropriate her penalty is for her actions. A clear illustration of the pride in herself that Hulga ( besides known as Joy ) displays is seen by the manner that she believes she is better than the state.

“Joy had made it kick that if it had non been this status. she would be far from these ruddy hills and good state people. She would be in a university talking to people who knew what she was speaking about” ( 175 ) .

Hulga clearly indicates in this statement that she would instead non hold to cover with naif state people. and would instead speak to those which are every bit smart as she is. O’Conner merely describes Hulga’s feelings about the state but leaves it up to the readers to make up one’s mind whether such feelings are the right 1s to hold. The natural reaction of the reader that O’Conner would be seeking to bring on is one that rejects the feelings. Ideally the reader would see that Hulga is non handling the state people as peers to university pupils and hence see that Hulga is condescending in a manner that makes her experience superior while exudating negative pride.

Another illustration of the manner O’Conner lets the reader make up one’s mind how negative Hulga’s pride is can be shown when she talks to the bible salesman. When Hulga is confronted by the salesman about non believing in God. the salesman claims that she isn’t “saved” because of it. Hulga so pompously replies that “I’m saved and you are damned” ( 182 ) . This statement entirely clearly shows how much better Hulga thinks she is than the naif bible salesman. She thinks that although she doesn’t believe in God she is much smarter than the salesman. and therefore she is blessed for being smart and the salesman is damned for being dense.

The reader is so one time once more enticed to dislike Hulga’s personality and the pride that goes along with it. In the terminal she is punished for her iniquitous self-importance when she loses her leg. O’Conner so lets the reader non merely make up one’s mind whether the penalty is right after seeing Hulga’s disdainful nature. but besides to what extent Hulga should be punished. Should she stop up acquiring aid back to her place or merely creep her manner back? Throughout “Good Country People” . Flannery O’Conner finally is assailing pride. and she does do it clear that she is making so. However she does this through the emotional and mental rejection of such pride from the reader.