The literary work, Good Country People, symbolizes a psychological journey for one woman to find her identity. Hulga, the central character, suffers from a physical disability and a heart condition, which leaves her in a depressive and low mental state. But she uses her high intellect as a way of detaching herself from the country people of her town. Her philosophical views about life and the country are condescending to her mother and the people around her, but it gives her leverage and makes her feel powerful in spite of her disability. Thus, she attempts to use her philosophical ideals about the world to seduce and toy with a country Bible salesman, Pointer. Ultimately, Hulga ends up going on an emotional rollercoaster, and in the end, is out-witted by someone she once perceived as simple-minded and naïve, which leaves her to question her own identity and psychological stability.

As a highly intellectual woman, Hulga’s insecurities and psychological problems stemmed from her childhood. After an incident in which her leg was severed during a hunting event, Hulga began to grow ashamed of her physical appearance. She formed a pessimistic view about the world, and her utter dislike for simple, country people was her way of coping with her own self-contempt for her physical disability. Even the changing of her name from Joy to Hulga represents her inner contempt and shame. Her mother, Mrs. Hopewell’s detest for her daughter’s physical state and new name is also illustrated in the book. “She thought of her still as a child because it tore her heart to think instead of the poor stout girl in her thirties who had never danced a step or had any normal good times. Her name was really Joy but as soon as she was twenty-one and away from home, she had it legally changed. Mrs. Hopewell was certain that she had thought and thought until she had hit upon the ugliest name in any language” (O’Conner 274).

According to Perceptual and Motor Skills, many disabled adults suffer from lack of confidence and insecurities, which can be extremely damaging to their mental stability. “It is quite likely that the manner in which disabled individuals are treated by society influences their physical self-perceptions. Individuals with physical disabilities generally report lacking positive experiences in life because the disability places them in a stigmatized and disadvantaged social position. Such experience is associated with reduced self-concept compared to individuals without physical disabilities” (Uchida, Hashimoto, Lutz 1161). Thus, Hulga’s psychological issues from her childhood resurfaced into her adulthood, which led to her grotesque view of life and the way she treats ordinary people. “We are all damned, but some of us have taken off the blindfolds and see that there’s nothing to see” (O’Connor 288).

Moreover, when Hulga meets Pointer, the Bible salesman, she sees him as someone that she can easily manipulate, which will make herself feel more empowered. But she began to grow an honest affection for him once he reveals that he shares the same pain as her; a heart condition. Through this similarity, Hulga begins to form a connection with Pointer. She begins to trust him and view him as someone who really understands her. Thus, the psychological game she initiated begins to turn into an emotional cry for love and belonging. “She had never been kissed before and she was pleased to discover that it was an unexceptional experience and all a matter of mind’s control” (O’Connor 285). But Hulga began to slowly pull away from her guarded exterior as she allowed Pointer to see her vulnerabilities.

Thus, the psychological game that Hulga intended to play on Pointer backfired on her when she realized that he was not “good country people,” and that he was indeed manipulative. Pointer had been playing with Hulga’s emotions so that he could get what he wanted, which was her prosthetic leg. Ultimately, Hulga ended up being the pun in her own psychological scheme to attain power over Pointer. Essentially, the story shows the psychological and emotional impact that Hulga’s disability had on her life, and the underlying root of her distorted perception of the world was her own urge for a sense of belonging and love.