Things Are Not Always What They Seem With “Good Country People” “Why that looks like the nice dull young man that tried to sell me a Bible Hopewell said, squinting. “He must of been trying to sell them to theNegros back in there. He was so simple,” she said, “but I guess the world would be betteroff if we were all that simple” (145). At the end of the story, Mrs. Hopewell considersManley Pointer “simple.” Little did she know that this “simple” man had just caused Hulgasevere mental and physical anguish. Her ignorance towards the underlying evil in theworld turns out to be her greatest fault. Situations are not always as they seem, and unlessone first looks within, his or her weaknesses may be exploited through evil doings. InFlannery O’Connor’s short story, “Good Country People,” irony is seen throughout thestory relating as the contradiction between what is thought to be a good country personand what really turns out to be evil. There are several examples of irony in O’Connor’s short story. Several people, aswell as objects, in this story appear to be one thing and end up being just the opposite. Themost obvious is Manley Pointer who appears to be “good country folk” and ends up beingsymbolic of all evil. The Bible carried by Manley turns out to be nothing more than ahiding place for “a pocket flask of whiskey, a pack of cards, and a small blue box withprinting on it” (135). Joy-Hulga appears to be accepting of her situation, but she is stillvery ashamed of her appearance. In the story, both Hulga and Manley wear masks overtheir true natures. Their final confrontation, however, reveals Manley to be a cunningatheist while Hulga is exposed as a girl whose naivete sharply contradicts the nihilisticcliches she professes. After the confrontation in the hay loft with Hulga, Manley isrevealed as an abuser and a thie...
