Mrs. Freeman is
Mrs. Hopewell’s tenant and employee
, largely in charge of running the farm.
Does Mrs Freeman work for Mrs Hopewell?
Freeman is allowed to be herself and is comfortable in her job. Also, Mrs.
Hopewell works hard and does much of the same work as
Mrs. Freeman.
Why did Mrs Hopewell hire the Freemans?
Hopewell hired the Freemans
because they were the only applicants for the job
. The man who served as their reference openly told Mrs. Hopewell that Mrs. Freeman was “the nosiest woman ever to walk the earth.”
What does Mrs Freeman add to the story?
Mrs. Freeman
frames the story
because she has more insight into human nature than either Mrs. Hopewell or Hulga. In a sense, she stands outside them, framing them, because she can understand more than they can.
Why does Mrs Hopewell use cliches?
Mrs. Hopewell uses
platitudes often in regard to
her daughter, Joy, who has renamed herself Hulga. Mrs. Hopewell does this because it is easier than confronting what Hulga really might need or be like on the inside.
Who does Mrs Hopewell live with?
Hulga Hopewell, born Joy Hopewell, has a PhD in philosophy. She lost a leg in a hunting accident and is now forced to live with
her mother
and wear a prosthetic leg. Manley Pointer is a con artist who poses as a Bible salesman in order to seduce Hulga and steal her prosthetic leg. Mrs.
Why does Hulga seduce Manley?
The central conflict in this story is between Hulga, who believes herself to be vastly superior to everyone around her, and the Bible salesman, Pointer, whom Hulga and her mother at first take to be simple, naive “good country people.” Hulga wants to seduce Pointer
to shatter his alleged innocence, both physical and
…
Is Mrs Freeman a good country person?
The final lines of the story suggest that Mrs. Freeman, like Manley, sees much more than her employer and Hulga.
She may be good country people
, but this doesn’t mean what her employer thinks it does—instead, it implies an ability to see the world around her for what it truly is.
What is Mrs Hopewell and Mrs Freeman doing at the end of the story when they see Manley?
In the second-to-last paragraph, Mrs. Hopewell sees
Manley in the distance and assumes he’s been selling Bibles to black people who live in woods nearby
. This kind of completes the persistent idea of blindness running through the story—Mrs.
Why did Joy change her name to Hulga?
When she turned twenty-one
, Joy turned her name to “Hulga,” taking pride in turning a symbol of what she saw as her mother’s naïve worldview and turning it into something ugly. To Hulga, religion is a waste of time. She sees herself as above the typical Christian believers around her, who she sees as blind hypocrites.
Why is Hulga uncomfortable around Mrs Freeman?
Mrs. Freeman calls Hulga “Hulga,” even though she knows the ugly self-given name makes Hulga feel uncomfortable
regarding her poor health and disability
. She does this only when Mrs. Hopewell is not around.
Why does Mrs Hopewell invite Manley pointer to dinner?
Hulga is openly discourteous to Manley Pointer, the Bible salesman when he visits her house. Mrs. Hopewell invites Manley to stay for dinner with them
after discovering that the nineteen-year-old Bible salesman has a heart condition similar to Hulga’s
.
What does Hulga realize fascinates Mrs Freeman about herself?
“Something about her [Hulga] seemed to fascinate Mrs. Freeman and then one day Hulga realized that
it was the artificial leg
” (O’Connor 419). Like one who thoroughly masters an idea and has an understanding of it, Mrs. Freeman feels that she understands people based on their physical deformity or illness.
What does Mrs Hopewell keep her Bible?
When the Bible Salesman visits her home, Mrs. Hopewell says that she keeps
a Bible at her bedside—but she’s lying
. … As Hulga tells the Bible Salesman: “You’re just like them all — say one thing and do another.
Where does Mrs Hopewell keep her Bible?
Hopewell said she keeps her
Bible next to her bed
. Psst: She was fibbing. Her Bible is actually in storage somewhere. The salesman said he thought that “for a Chrustian, the word of God aught to be in every room of the house” (34).
Which is not spoken by Mrs Hopewell?
Explanation and Analysis:
Mrs. Hopewell could not say, “
My daughter is an atheist and won’t let me keep the Bible in the parlor
.” She said, stiffening slightly, “I keep my bible by my bedside.” This was not the truth.
