The Character of Hulga in Good Country People by Mary Flannery OConnor

The Character of Hulga in Good Country People by Mary Flannery O'Connor    By definition joy means a great feeling of pleasure and happiness. In Mary Flannery O'Connor's short story Good Country People, Joy Freeman was not at all joyful. Actually, she was the exact opposite. Joy's leg was shot off in a hunting accident when she was ten. Because of that incident, Joy was a stout girl in her thirties who had never danced a step or had any normal good times. (O'Connor 249). She had a wooden leg that only brought her teasing from others and problems in doing daily activities. Joy was very rude as well. In the story it speaks of her comments being so rude and ugly and her face so glum that her mother's boss, Mrs. Hopewell, would tell her if she could not come pleasantly than for her to not come at all. (O'Connor 249). In the story she is very rude to her mother. She would yell at her mother and tell her to look inside herself and see exactly what she was, which she believed was nothing. The story speaks of her entering rooms with her wooden leg making a hulking sound. In all she was miserable to be around and when she made an entrance it was one of the most disturbing ones of all. Joy also hated any living thing, which included animals, flowers, and especially young men. The only thing that ever made Joy happy in her life was when she went to school and acquired her Ph.D. in philosophy. Because she was older, she had no real reason to go back to school, so she was stuck with nothing to bring her pleasure or personal enrichment. When Joy was twenty-one and away from home she had her name legally changed. She tried to find the most horrible sounding syllables to put together and she thought of the name Hulga.... ...ated and had a Ph.D. in Philosophy. She could not call her daughter a schoolteacher, a nurse, or a chemical engineer and that bothered her. These people and episodes in Joy's life made her a very miserable person. They made her hate all that surrounded her, which included flowers, animals, and young men. This is why Joy changes her name to Hulga when she was twenty-one years old. She believed the name represented her as an individual. The name was fierce, strong, and determined just like her. The name reminded her of the broad, blank hull of a battleship. Joy felt the name reflected her inside and out. It separated her from the people who surrounded her that she hated the most.    Works Cited O'Connor, Flannery. Good Country People. Literature an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, And Drama. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Longman. 2002. (247-261)

Changing Our Lives Essay

Changing Our Lives There are several reasons I decided to go to college at this point of my life. The first reason was simply because when I first received my G. E. D. I couldn’t decide which occupation was right for me. There were so many different and interesting career paths to choose from. It became overwhelming trying to narrow it down to the best choice. I honestly didn’t want to waste time and money going to school for a job I didn’t enjoy or that I could not excel at.I wasted the next part of my life using drugs and gambling. I made a lot of bad decisions that led me to become involved with law. I have never been charged with any felonies, but I have plenty of misdemeanors to show for my behavior. This limits me to what jobs I can receive. Once the company does a background check the hiring process usually stops there. Even though I have changed my life for the better most employers won’t give me a chance to prove myself. My record definitely limit s me when choosing an occupation.I am embarrassed and not very proud of my mistakes I have made in life but I will not let the past slow me down. Being enrolled in college will help prove myself as a responsible adult and show others that I can shine in any situation. Going to college will give me that chance to make my family proud. I also think it is setting a great example for my children. They see every day how hard it is to work for a job you don’t like and not receiving the pay you deserve.Deciding to go to college will teach them that no matter what happens in life it’s never too late to make a change for the better. After a lot of thought and time I decided that I would receive my bachelors degree in business administration with a concentration on management. This opens many different outlets upon graduation and will help me decide on a specific career. I will also have the knowledge to hold a management position and make more money while still attending colleg e. My ultimate goal is to one day own a couple of small businesses of my own.I already have the creativity, passion, and drive to be successful. Going to college will give me the understanding about the business world and bring me closer to my career goals. Waiting to go to college has been frustrating, but definitely worth it. I feel like I finally have enough time to manage work, school, and family life. I am more responsible and am able to make better choices. After changing my life I am finally on the path to seeing my dreams come true. Hopefully I will achieve my final goal of one day being my own boss.

The Horrors of War in Wilfred Owens Poem, Dulce et...

The Horrors of War in Wilfred Owens Poem, Dulce et Decorum Est From the earliest records of history, accounts of war have been portrayed as valiant acts of heroism. Children and adults alike have gathered together to hear tales of war and its glory. From the stories of Alexander the Great to recent-day movies like Saving Private Ryan, war has been praised and exalted with words such as bravery, honor, and freedom. However, Wilfred Owens poem Dulce et Decorum Est shows the ugly, horrible side of fighting. By use of gripping words and vivid descriptions, Owen paints incredible pictures of what World War I was really like. He tears away the glory and drama and reveals the real essence of fighting: fear, torture, and death. No†¦show more content†¦Then, An ecstasy of fumbling / Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time / But someone still was yelling out and stumbling [. . .]. Everyone has managed to put on his mask, except one unfortunate soldier. As the mustard gas seeps into his lungs, he begins to scream and jerk around, but it is too la te for his companions to save him. [W]atch the white eyes writing in his face / His hanging face / [. . .] at every jolt, the blood / Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs [. . .] / Of vile, incurable sores on the innocent tongue [. . .]. Nowhere in the entire poem is there any mention of how wonderful and brave the soldiers feel at being given the chance to die for their country. Second, striking similes are used throughout the whole poem. The speaker does not content himself with using age-old phrases or comparisons. His similes are unique and gripping. Like old beggars under sacks, like a man in fire or lime, and like a devils sick of sin, help to add vivid mental pictures to the poem. The soldiers uniforms are ripped and threadbare from all the fighting, and they are so exhausted that they bend over as they walk. The man that breathed the mustard gas is in such incredible pain that all he can do is jerk about as if he were on fire. After a while, the gas causes his face to sag until he resembles something from the horrors of hell. The speakers similes are ones that cause the reader to stop and just think about what is being describedShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast Dulce Et Decorum Est and Charge of the Light Brigade1442 Words   |  6 Pagescontrast â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† and â€Å"Charge Of The Light Brigade†. What images of war d o these two poems convey? We have been studying the war poems Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen and Charge Of The Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Dulce Et Decorum Est was written during the First World War from 1914 to 1918 whilst Charge Of The Light Brigade was composed in the 19th century, and describes a battle that took place during the Crimean War. Both poems give a different impression of war. WilfredRead MoreWilfred Owen1266 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Wilfred Owen’s attitude towards WW1 and how is this shown through his poetry? Wilfred Owen was a soldier during world war one. Many of his poems were published posthumously, and now well renowned. His poems were also heavily influenced by his good friend and fellow soldier Siegfried Sassoon. Wilfred Owen was tragically killed one week before the end of the war. During the war Wilfred Owen had strong feelings towards the use of propaganda and war in general, this was due to the horrors he sawRead MoreWilfred Owen : The Greatest English Poet During The First World War Poem Summary1358 Words   |  6 PagesDulce Et Decorum Est Wilfred Owen Wilfred Owen is recognized as the greatest English poet during the First World War. Wilfred Owen notable poems contains the lives and historical records. 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Wilfred Owen Let’s discuss the poet. Wilfred Owen was one of the leading voices of the first world war. In January 1917, Owen was deployed but he was innocent to the realism of war. In April, he sustained shell-shockRead More The Use of Vocabulary in Dulce Et Decorum Est and The Volunteer1297 Words   |  6 PagesThe Use of Vocabulary in Dulce Et Decorum Est and The Volunteer The Volunteer by Herbert Asquith and Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen are two poems, which cast very different opinions on the Great War of 1914 - 1918. In The Volunteer Asquith has created an inspirational mood, one that indicates patriotism and optimism. However, Dulce Et Decorum Est contrasts The Volunteer, with its angry and bitter mood. One of the principal aspects that help to create the mood is the use Read MoreThe Soldier By Rupert Brooke And Wilfred Owen1253 Words   |  6 Pagesdecision to enter the First World War instantaneously ignited a fierce fusion of Nationalism and extreme patriotism throughout Britain. British Nationalism and war propaganda profoundly influenced the writings of numerous British poets during the early years of World War One. However, as the war progressed, attitudes concerning pro-nationalist ideologies began to change. The horrific realities of war produced a profusion of sardonic, anti-nationalistic poetry as young war poets confronted death and destructionRead More The Ugliness of War in Wilfred Owens Dulce et Decorum est Essays1099 Words   |  5 PagesThe Ugliness of War in Wilfred Owens Dulce et Decorum est Wilfred Owens Dulce et Decorum est is seen as a strong expression of the ugliness of war, and an attack on the idea of war being glorious (Kerr 48). It transmits an irritating clip, with full animation and in vivid colors, of embittered and battered soldiers marching to their death. It also, cogently presents a nightmarish vision of hell uploading all its demons into the root directory of an impoverished soldier who saw one ofRead MoreClose Study of Texts - Wilfred Owen Essays1004 Words   |  5 PagesAlexandra Bucud How does Owen’s portrayal of the relationship between youth and war move us to a deeper understanding of suffering? As an anti-war poet, Wilfred Owen uses his literary skills to express his perspective on human conflict and the wastage involved with war, the horrors of war, and its negative effects and outcomes. As a young man involved in the war himself, Owen obtained personal objectivity of the dehumanisation of young people during the war, as well as the false glorification