Flannery O'Connor's short story “Good Country People” pokes fun at modern philosophy and those who follow it, suggesting that those who stray will be taught by God, at one time, one way or another, that God is real. The story, which takes place in the South, follows a girl who prefers modern philosophy and how she is won over by what appears to be the divinity of God through the characters presented in the story. O'Connor's beliefs about Christianity and modern philosophy are revealed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At the beginning of the story, Hulga is introduced as a character. arrogant girl who believes in nothing, has a doctorate in philosophy and considers herself better than the people around her. The narrator describes her through the eyes of her mother, Mrs. Hopewell a shred of common sense To Mrs. Hopewell it seemed that every year she became less and less like other people and more like herself: bloated, rude and cross-eyed” (1343). Hulga believes in existentialism and philosophy, which is an exercise in God-denial, and is arrogantly proud to believe that she knows so much more than her mother, or any other country person, because she does not follow God. Flannery O'Connor, having a traditional conception of God, represents all those who believe in modern philosophy through Hulga, and makes Hulga seem like a horrible person. Hulga's birth name is Joy, but she chooses not to call him that. The narrator says: “Her name was actually Joy but as soon as she was twenty-one and moved away from home, she had it legally changed. Mrs. Hopewell was sure she thought and thought until she came across the ugliest name in any language…. Her legal name was Hulga” (1342). This is important because Hulga was given a beautiful name by her mother, who is of the Christian faith. But when Hulga gets involved and interested in philosophy and the nothingness of the world, she changes her name to something bad. Her name was chosen by herself, representing the denial of God and the acceptance of something bad. Hulga, a philosopher who believes in nothingness, represents how Flannery O'Connor viewed those who turned away from God. During the story, a Bible salesman, Manley Pointer, makes his way into Hulga's life. Hulga, being arrogant and full of pride, believes she can show Manley the absolute truth, or at least what she believes. When Manly invites her to a picnic, she accepts because she believes she can lead him away from God. Hulga continues to make it clear that she doesn't believe in God throughout their time together. Hulga, when asked if she was not saved by God, says, "'I am saved and you are damned but I told you I did not believe in God'" (1350). Nothing seemed to destroy Hulga's confidence in her denial of God. Finally, towards the end of the story, it is revealed that Manley is not a Bible salesman but an impostor who robs people. When he takes Hulga's fake leg, she yells at him that perfect Christians like him don't do things like that. He responds by telling her that he has never been a Christian; “I haven't believed in anything since I was born!” (1353). Manley was God's deliverer. He was there to slap Hulga in the face, to show her that only people who arrogantly deny God as she did end up suffering. When Manley leaves after stealing Hulga's leg, she watches from where she is stuck; “When he turned his agitated face towards the opening, he saw his blue figure struggling successfully on the speckled green lake” (1353). The way he is described as a blue figure walking on water does not suggest that he is God, but the presence of.