Symbolism In Good Country Peop Essay Research free essay sample

Symbolism In Good Country Peop Essay, Research Paper Symbolism IN GOOD COUNTRY PEOPLE Symbolism plays a major function in Flannery O Connor s narrative, Good State Peoples. Multiple objects that are presented in the narrative appear ab initio to be simply props, but the reader ulterior discovers these props to really be highly of import and necessary to the kineticss of the narrative. These props, or objects, symbolically stand for the personalities of the characters who possess and/or use them. One such object in the narrative is the wooden leg of Hulga. When the wooden leg is introduced into the narrative, the reader is compelled to experience sympathy and commiseration for Hulga due to the fortunes asking the wooden leg. It is mentioned briefly, with small description, that the leg was literally blown off in a hunting accident. This sounds awful, and is tragic, but what is even more tragic is the manner Hulga uses the wooden leg as a tool for pull stringsing state of affairss to accommodate her. An illustration of this is when she stomps through the house, intentionally doing a loud ugly-sounding noise. Hulga s physical disablement, and usage of the wooden leg, symbolizes her as a whole. More specifically, the leg is strong yet weak at the same clip, as Hulga appears strong to others, but in world is vulnerable. The leg is strong, non merely because of the obvious fact- it is made from wood, but because it provides Hulga with support, or in other words, a crutch. At the same clip, nevertheless, it is weak because if removed, it would merely be nil more than a piece of wood. And, in fact, the wooden leg does finally turn out its failing in the narrative. In one second, the wooden leg goes from being a leg, a cardinal agency of support, to nil except a piece of wood. At the same minute the leg is removed, Hulga herself goes from being a strong personality, to a cripple imploring for clemency. Other objects in the narrative that have symbolic significance are the eggs that Hulga cooks for breakfast. It is stated in the narrative that Hulga puts her eggs on the range to boil, and so she stands over them with her weaponries crossed waiting for the eggs to cook. When the eggs are placed into the H2O, they are delicate, but as they cook, they become hard. This procedure greatly reflects upon Hulga. Hulga uses the clip when the eggs are cooking to reconstruct her wall. This wall is the barrier that she puts between herself and others, chiefly her female parent, Mrs. Hopewell. Hulga is, in a sense, doing herself hard like the eggs. Mrs. Hopewell s name is improbably symbolic of her character s personality. The compound word, Hopewell, if broken down, literally means what it says- hope good. With everything that Mrs. Hopewell s girl, Hulga, has done in the past and does in the narrative, Mrs. Hopewell still has hope that things might alter for the best. She has dealt with her girl s negativeness for old ages, but has yet to go negative herself. Mrs. Hopewell is strongly opinionated and set in her ways, but however, she does seek to look for the good in people and state of affairss. Another object in the narrative that has a symbolic significance is the bibl vitamin E that the male child, Manley Pointer the bible salesman, carries with him throughout the narrative. The reader is led to believe that the bible is merely a regular Bible and that Manley Pointer is merely a good state male child. But this is non the instance, as is revealed tardily in the narrative. The image of the Bible is evidently related with anything pure, good, nice, or sort, and many people tend to generalise that anyone retention, reading, or talking about a bible must be of the same features. This is what happens to the characters of Mrs. Hopewell and Hulga in the narrative. They wrongfully assume, as could the reader, that Manley Pointer is a contemplation of the Bibles he is selling. More specifically it is Hulga that makes the tragic premise that Manley Pointer is an easy mark because of the connexion she makes to the Bibles. Hulga believes the bible salesman to be a na ve young person, perchance blinded by his religion to the evil- the evil being Hulga s program to score him to acquire at her mother- mousing up on him. Hulga is caught off guard nevertheless, when Manley Pointer opens his bible to uncover a flask of whisky among other things. This bend of events surprises Hulga, because when the Bible is opened, non merely are the contents of the bible open, but so is the true character of Manley Pointer the bible salesman. Therefore, the bible with the points, points related with wickedness and immorality, concealed interior, is overpowering symbolic of the image and true character of Manley Pointer. The ladder that Hulga and Manley Pointer ascent to make the loft is symbolic of the flood tide of the narrative itself. To the unsuspicious reader, it is expected that atop the ladder awaits the topographic point in which Hulga will take advantage of the bible salesman. That, nevertheless, is non what happens. Climbing the ladder takes Hulga to a topographic point from which she can non return, without the wooden leg of class. Merely as holding bad purposes and making bad workss will convey person to a point in life or a topographic point from which it is non easy to return. The ladder symbolizes the flood tide of the narrative and the journey of Hulga. It is besides slightly symbolic that Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman were in the garden at the terminal of the narrative delving up onions when they spotted Manley Pointer go outing the barn. The adult females, at that clip, had no cognition that the bible salesman was non the good state boy they believed him to be, but merely the fact that they were delving up onions when he came out of the barn is subtly amusing. Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman were delving up malodorous onions and Hulga had merely been had by a stinky character. Flannery O Connor s usage of symbolism in this narrative is clever. She artfully injects objects into the narrative that makes it about exciting for the reader to detect one such object. Some of the things Flannery O Connor utilizations are obvious, but others require close examination and perchance several readings to happen. Some appear to hold great narrative value, and others appear merely for amusement of the reader. This consummate usage of symbolism is one feature of Flannery O Connor that makes her a brilliant author.