f, but only to Hulga. There are two types of irony throughout this story, situational irony and verbalirony. Situational irony is found when Hulga is expecting to seduce an innocent, however,it turns out to be quite different. Joy-Hulga is easily the most taken advantage of characterin the entire story. As her ugly sounding name implies, she appears ugly and evil, but deepdown she has a desire for love and happiness. She says, “I am one of those people who seethrough to nothing” (115). Little does she know, that she recognizes one of her greatestweaknesses in this statement. Hulga has said one thing but her hidden desires cause herseveral problems later on. For example, the whole scene that takes place in the hay loft,which is know as verbal irony. Manley was thought of as a “good country folk”, however,this was quickly changed around when he seduces Hulga in the hay-loft and takes her leg.Little does Hulga know that Manley Pointer “has been believing in nothing since he wasborn” (145). The irony of the story is in essence who was thought to be a good country boyturned out to be very evil in causing harm to one of Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman’sown. Although Hulga was not the good Christian girl that they had hoped for, they stillnever imagined Hulga being put through great physical and mental anguish. Unfortunately,they were unable to recognize evil surrounding them the whole time. Just when theybelieved Manley was trying to sell the bibles to the negros, ... “she (Mrs. Freeman)returned her attention to the evil-smelling onion shoot she was lifting from the ground”(145). Ironically, Manley Pointer happens to walk by right as she picks the “evil-smelling”onions.In conclusion, all throughout O’Connor’s short story “Good Country People,”situations were not always as they seemed. The title itself is very ironic. Throughout thestory, Manley was putt...
