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Friday, May 17, 2019

Good Country People: the Twin Dragons of Image and Language Essay

Good Country People The mate Dragons of Image and Language Good Country People by Flannery OConnor tells the story of a xxxii year old handicapped woman originally pee-peed Joy but later Hulga with a PhD in philosophy. Towards the end of the story, the supposedly intelligent and cunning Hulga is seduced by a supposedly mere(a), naive, and innocent-looking Bible salesman by the name of Manley Pointer. As in Revelations, it is possible to see the fit dragons of foresee and language working together to bend in this story.Specifically, the twin dragons as characterized using dialogue spoken by Hulga and Manley create a sand of individualism, maturity, and control of theatrical rolel fate however, only Manley possesses these qualities, while Hulga is under the illusion that she does. Also, when enforced by the ca usage, the twin dragons message to the reader is one of human collectiveness, vulnerability, and simplicity. As an example, both dragons are utilized by Hulga when she uses her philosophic knowledge to stock the Bible salesman of her superior understanding of the world.In the barn, Manley Pointer tries to drive the conversation to his expediency however, she is able to withstand his attempt We are all damned, she said, but some of us necessitate taken off our blindfolds and see that theres nothing to see (674). The legless girl chooses to use the word damned in an attempt to better connect to Manley Pointers religious language. In addition, Dorothy Tuck McFarland points out in her essay On Good Country People that the blindfold exculpation does not empower her, but veritablely shows Hulgas surrender to love(1054) which begins her vulnerable to a disclosure of her own blindness (1054).I agree with McFarlands statement because the more Hulga talks about herself, the more she reveals information that can be utilise against her. In addition, the girls use of the blindfold image serves as a puppet to differentiate herself in a haughty way from others who are categoric sheep of a flock she is different, better, all-knowing while others are mindless. The creators intention here is to show, by appealing to Hulgas ethos, the negative tendency for human beings to see their qualities in a false positive light and highlight them for others to be impressed.It is now clear that when the dragons of image and language are employed by the character Hulga in this case, it is to present herself as strong and unique in the eyes of Manley Pointer. In an teetotal twist, OConnor uses the dragon of language with dialogue coming from Hulga to present her entirely differently than she presents herself naive and listless. As Pointer reveals his chargeworthy self, the girl realizes that she has been tricked, her demeanor changing drastically Her voice when she spoke had an al approximately plead sound. Arent you, she murmured.Arent you just a good country people? (675). All of her former beliefs on with her confidence are demolish ed in an instant, and this is highlighted by words such as pleading and murmured. not being able to pass through life with an orderly step-by-step procedure because of her physical condition, Hulgas social and love life stand on fragile foundations, and this is why her emotions overshadow her academic and philosophic intellectualism which ironically blindfolds and so pushes the girl into developing a false impression of Manley Pointers innocence.The author is using the dragon of language to persuade the reader of the girls weak nature, reflective of the true mental weakness of human beings in society on a larger scale most people believe they are in control of their own destinies, but in reality, they cannot even be certain if the sun will rise tomorrow. A similar distinction can be do surrounded by the presentations of another character, Manley Pointer, by the author versus by Manley himself. When introducing him, the author uses the dragons of image and language to create a ea sy, innocent, and common-looking country boy, traits which enable him to win Mrs.Hopewells trust. Before dinner is ready at the ladys home, this apparent Bible salesman shows up at her door trying to persuade to buy bibles Well lady, Ill tell you the truth not many people want to buy one nowadays and besides, I know Im real simple. I striket know how to say a thing but to say it. Im just a country boy (667). In these lines, the boy appears as if he has almost given up on selling bibles and turns himself into a tractable servant in order to give Mrs. Hopewell a sense of control over him and their discussion.The salesman appeals to ethos which makes the lady let down her guard however, he is still not successful until he plays with her emotions when he mentions his heart condition I have this heart condition. (668). This approach is effective because he and Joy had the same condition (668) because of this, Mrs. Hopewells trust is won and he is given a free meal alongside Hulga. D orothy Tuck McFarland argues that the image of naivety the county boy creates makes the girl feel that he offers no scourge to her and allows herself to respond to his open admiration (On Good Country People1053).Therefore, McFarland sees the boys clever persona as a tool to cause Hulga to manifest her affection the same way the salesman misleadingly manifests his. I would add further that his persona of innocence and simplicity does not only win her attention but eventually wins the girls trust and her heart as well. Regardless of McFarlands or others interpretations, the twin dragons used by the author intentionally persuade the reader that people on a societal scale are simple and submissive by turning our attention to Pointers aura of reliability which poses no threat and creates trust.In a similar ironic twist of presentation as experienced via Hulga, Manley Pointers strength of character is unexpectedly revealed later in the story. Images and languages help reveal his true id entity and his actual beliefs, showing his individualism, manipulation of others, and control of his personal life. After the Bible salesman reveals his true colors, the girl tries to persuade him that he is just another Christian however, Pointer shuts her up when he speaks his mind I hope you dont think,that I believe in that crap I may sell Bibles but I know which end is up and I wasnt born yesterday and I know where Im going (675).The boys former beliefs are compared to the strong word crap which shows that being formally educated in philosophy is not the only way to deny God and holiness in general. The bible salesmans language changes from what was previously submissive and humble dialogue to what is now an empowered, angry, and insulted one, suggesting that it is wiser to be skeptical not only with seemingly trashy people but also with the innocent and simple country ones because the latter may actually be the most proficient backstabbers.Through is own use of the mentioned images and language, Pointer reveals that even good country people can be clever, unique, and surprising even when it comes to play with the minds of the so-called intellectuals. As was done in the case of Hulga, the author puts these words into Manleys mouth to persuade the reader that when people present themselves, they emphasize their strengths, uniqueness, and control of their own destinies. It is interesting to see that the difference between a first impression and an in-depth evaluation of a character has manifested itself in two ways in this story, as we have seen.Hulga is transformed by the author from a know-it-all to a confused, insignificant dot. On the other hand, Pointer is transformed from the latter to the former. The twin dragons of image and language when used by Hulga make her look strong on the outside, but the same dragons show her true inner weakness when used by the author. Conversely, the dragons of image and language used by the author for Manley Pointer ma ke him appear weak on the outside, but when used by Pointer himself show his true inner strength. In the end, OConnor uses the twin dragons to further her own thesis of the disappointing reality of human nature.

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