HW 2 Good Country People Notes PDF

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Professor: Wetzel...

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Mrs. Freeman has two expressions other than neutral ○ Forward ■ Steady gaze ○ Reverse ■ Nearly imperceptible trace of hesitation ■ Perhaps uncomfortable with being wrong ○ Side note: “Mrs.” Freeman won’t admit to being wrong Mrs. Hopewell ○ Does she run a foster home? ○ Has responsibilities Joy ○ Mrs. Hopewell’s daughter ○ Chunky and missing a leg Glynese or Carramae aka Glycerin and Caramel, according to Joy So apparently, Hopewell employs the Freemans Maybe Mrs. Freeman, Glynese, and Carramae are all related somehow Hopewell was at first hesitant to hire them bc Mr. freeman said Mrs. Freeman is nosy What the hell are “good country people” Is Mrs. freeman black? Based on stereotypes I guess Hopewell averaged one tenant family per year Joy’s legal name is now Hulga?? ○ Changing her name was her highest creative act Freeman randomly started calling Joy Hulga, but not in front of Hopewell ○ I think it’s kind of funny that all this is going down between actual grown women Calling Hulga that would get under her skin “Mrs. Freeman had a special fondness for the details of secret infections, hidden deformities, assaults upon children. Of diseases, she preferred the lingering or incurable.” So Hopewell is pretty much the best character in the story ○ In my opinion Joy is pretty much going to die at 45 ○ Maybe that’s why she’s so bitter ○ Women who are alone for a long time are usually bitter, that’s what my mom always says To Joy, “good country people” is an insult, or at least a patronizing/condescending title ○ “Joy had made it plain that if it had not been for this condition, she would be far from these red hills and good country people” Hopewell doesn’t understand why Joy has a PhD in philosophy ○ Joy cried, “Woman! Do you ever look inside? Do you ever look inside and see what you are not? God!...Malebranche was right: we are not our own light. We are not our own light!” Joy only likes stupid men What is story about bro

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Lol kind of funny when Hopewell tried to ready what Joy was reading and she literally got the chills Young, hatless, Bible salesman character ○ Manley Pointer “Country people” might mean not too bright or educated or intelligent, but still genuine and refreshing to have around ○ “ I know I’m real simple. I don't know how to say a thing but to say it. I‖m just a country boy.” Hopewell think country people are the “salt of the earth” ○ I wonder if that phrase was chosen also because it’s a direct quote from the Bible ■ The only problem with this theory is that Hopewell just revealed not ten seconds ago that she wasn’t religious ■ Irony? ■ Am I reading too much into this? “You don't see any more real honest people unless you go way out in the country.” ○ Country people are honest Joy and Manley have the same heart condition, but of course, Joy hate him all the same Glynese and the chiropractor are a thing ○ He asked her to marry him before the “Ordinary” Carramae wa married to Lyman Lyman appreciated marriage, whatever that means

I guess this is where I put down my thoughts of the short story we read. I thought it was a pretty interesting tale. Not too sure who the main character is sill. basically, Joy is a bitter old lady, Freeman is a literal psychopath, and Hopewell is a generous spirit. Their names hold a lot of significance. To me they were reflective of each of their personalities. No wonder Joy changed he name to Hulga. It also seems like everyone in the story knows what “good country people” are like, and yet each of their interpretations differ greatly. I think this very deviation of ideas shows that the interpretations depends on the experience of each individual and varies with each person’s perspective. At the end of the day, it’s always about perspective....