In "Good Country People," by Flannery O'Connor, there are four distinct characters, each with their own opinions and morals. Mrs. Hopewell categorizes her hired help, Mrs. Freeman, and a traveling Bible salesman named Manley Pointer as "good country people." However, the term "good country people" takes on various meanings throughout the story. Mrs. Hopewell believes that she and her daughter Joy—who has adopted the name Hulga—are superior to everyone else. In contrast to their rural neighbors, they are educated and sophisticated. According to Mrs. Hopewell, being good implies treating people nicely. She also believes that adopting a positive outlook on life is crucial. Joy, on the other hand, has a unique perspective on goodness. She sees …show more content…
Hopewell refers to Mrs. Freeman and Manley Pointer as "good country people," she means it in a superficial sense. To her, they are pleasant individuals who don't cause trouble or stir up drama like some of their neighbors do. However, both Mrs. Freeman and Manley Pointer have ulterior motives that reveal their true nature. Mrs. Freeman is nosy and manipulative; she enjoys gossiping about others behind their backs while pretending to be friendly to their faces. She uses her knowledge of other people's business to gain power over them or get what she wants from them. Manley Pointer initially presents himself as a devout Christian who wants to save souls by selling Bibles door-to-door. He manages to charm Joy into going on a walk with him where he reveals his true intentions - seducing her for his own pleasure while stealing her prosthetic leg as a trophy. Joy/Hulga's world view contrasts sharply with her mother's ideas of goodness and kindness towards others because she doesn't believe in God or any higher power that would dictate morality. She sees the world as a bleak, meaningless place where nothing has any inherent value or purpose. For her, being "good" means rejecting societal expectations and living according to her own desires regardless of what others