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Hulga is just as vulnerable as anyone else is, although she does not want to admit it.
Hulga's leg also symbolizes her vulnerability and her pride. She is the only one who touches it, and it is part of what makes her unique and different. While she is ashamed of it, she is also intensely proud of it, because it, like her education, sets her apart from others. It is another way, in her own distorted manner, that she thinks she is better than others are. The author continues, "But she was as sensitive about the artificial leg as a peacock about his tail. No one ever touched it but her. She took care of it as someone else would his soul, in private and almost with her own eyes turned away" (O'Connor). Hulga is a very complex character, but so is Manley, the Bible salesman. (His name is as full of symbolism as Hulga's). His real reason for seducing Hulga is to add her leg to his collection, and he manipulates her perfectly to accomplish his goal, which underscores...
He gives her a measure of hope while he shows an interest in her, and then proves the ugliness of humanity when he steals her leg and leaves her alone in the hayloft. Hulga seems to be the ugly character in the story, but in reality she is the victim and Manley is the ugly side of human nature, which is one of O'Connor's themes in this story.
In conclusion, this short story is depressing and enlightening at the same time. Hulga's character is harsh and unsympathetic at first, but by the end of the story, the reader has to feel sorry for her. She really is vulnerable, even if she does not want to admit it, and Manley has proven that to her. The characters are all complex and serve a purpose in the story, which is something that is difficult to achieve is such a short amount of time.
References
O'Connor, Flannery. "Good Country People." Weber State University. 2010. 27 Feb. 2010.
<http://faculty.weber.edu/jyoung/English%206710/Good%20Country%20People.pdf>.
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