"Good Country People"

“Good Country People” is a short mind-bottling story that shows people are not always as they seem. The story begins misleading the reader to make them believe that the story is centered around Mrs. Freeman. However, the story is actually about Hugla . Hugla is a rebellious, “educated”, and very confused individual. She has a degree is philosophy but she does not seem to know anything about life or people. I find it ironic that she has such a degree but lacks common sense. Hugla tries so hard to be spiteful to her mom, Mrs. Hopewell. Hugla also has a heart condition. It seems to me as if Hugla is very desperate for attention but does not understand that negative attention is not the type she needs. One day a “bible salesman” shows up with a rather large pity story that everyone in the home believes. The salesman claims to have a heart condition as well. Hugla is immediately attracted to the boy; and she plans to meet with him in private. Everything seems to be going as smoothly as she wanted it to. However, the cards change when the salesman reveals his true self. His mask is revealed and it turns out he is a sick pervert who wants her wooden leg. It was foreshadowed from the beginning because he has such great interest in it. It turns out a “ country boy” outsmarted the highly intelligent Hugla. Hugla was abandoned by him in the barn in the top loft. He stole her wooden leg and Hugla was left to realize just how “smart” she truly is. This story reveals the uttermost dark side of people and how no one is what they seem or claim to be. The fact that Hugla had no faith in God also seems to play a big part in the story. Without faith in a higher power, Hugla sees life in a sort of black and white terms. She had to come to terms with the fact that she cannot survive on her own.