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

Good Country mint The Twin Dragons of Image and Language Good Country state by Flannery OConnor tells the story of a thirty-two year old disabled woman originally named Joy exclusively later Hulga with a PhD in philosophy. Towards the end of the story, the supposedly intelligent and cunning Hulga is seduced by a supposedly simple, guileless, and innocent-looking Bible salesman by the name of Manley pointer. As in Revelations, it is possible to detect the twin flying potassium hydrogen tartrates of bod and linguistic communication working together to persuade in this story.Specifically, the twin dragons as pieceized using dialogue spoken by Hulga and Manley effect a sense of individualism, maturity, and control of personal fate however, just now Manley possesses these qualities, musical composition Hulga is under the illusion that she does. Also, when utilize by the agent, the twin dragons message to the indorser is one of human collectiveness, vulnerability, and si mplicity. As an example, both dragons ar utilized by Hulga when she uses her philosophical knowledge to persuade the Bible salesman of her superior understanding of the world.In the barn, Manley pointer tries to drive the conversation to his advantage however, she is able to withstand his enterprise We argon all damned, she said, except some of us befuddle taken off our blindfolds and forecast that theres nothing to see (674). The legless lady friend chooses to use the word damned in an hear to better connect to Manley pointers religious language. In addition, Dorothy stick in McFarland points out in her es allege On Good Country peck that the blindfold confession does not empower her, but tangiblely shows Hulgas surrender to love(1054) which touch ons her vulnerable to a revelation of her own cecity (1054).I agree with McFarlands statement because the more Hulga talks more or less herself, the more she reveals information that can be used against her. In addition, the girls use of the blindfold image serves as a whoreson to differentiate herself in a positive way from others who are unglamorous sheep of a flock she is different, better, all-knowing while others are mindless. The authors intention here is to show, by appealing to Hulgas ethos, the negative drift for human beings to see their qualities in a false positive argus-eyed 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 content, it is to present herself as bullnecked and unique in the eyes of Manley Pointer. In an ironic twist, OConnor uses the dragon of language with dialogue coming from Hulga to present her entirely differently than she presents herself naive and weak. As Pointer reveals his straight self, the girl realizes that she has been tricked, her demeanor changing drastically Her voice when she spoke had an almost pleading sound. Arent you, she murmured.Arent you mediocr e a good agricultural volume? (675). All of her former beliefs on with her confidence are demolished in an instant, and this is highlighted by words such(prenominal) as pleading and murmured. Not being able to pass by dint of life with an orderly step-by-step procedure because of her physical condition, Hulgas affectionate and love life stand on fragile foundations, and this is why her emotions reign her academic and philosophical 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, contemplative 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 trait can be made between the presentments 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 simple, innocent, and common-looking country boy, traits which enable him to win Mrs.Hopewells self-reliance. Before dinner is ready at the ladys home, this apparent Bible salesman shows up at her doorsill trying to persuade to buy bibles Well lady, Ill tell you the the true not many people want to buy one right away and besides, I know Im real simple. I usurpt 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 utilizen up on plowing bibles and turns himself into a submissive 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 lower her bulwark however, he is still not successful until he plays with her emotions when he mentions his nub condition I have this heart condition. (668). This approach is effective be cause 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. Dorothy Tuck McFarland argues that the image of naivety the county boy creates makes the girl feel that he offers no threat to her and allows herself to respond to his open admiration (On Good Country People1053).Therefore, McFarland sees the boys clever persona as a gumshoe to cause Hulga to manifest her affection the same way the salesman misleadingly manifests his. I would add gain that his persona of innocence and simplicity does not exactly 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 experienc ed via Hulga, Manley Pointers strength of character is by luck revealed later in the story. Images and languages help reveal his true identity 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 the skinny I may sell Bibles but I know which end is up and I wasnt born yesterday and I know where Im red ink (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 religion 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 in truth 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 move even when it comes to playing 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 divergence 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 alter 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 s how her true inner weakness when used by the author. Conversely, the dragons of image and language used by the author for Manley Pointer make 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.