Manipulation in Good Country People

While reading “Good Country People,” I was so surprised that the only thing that Pointer did was steal her leg. Which I assume was a symbol of her vulnerability since that was the only part of Hulga that was weak. Hulga was intelligent, rude, and cynical and then the one time she lets down her guard and thinks hat she has found an innocent person in which she is worried about seducing and taking advantage of, he turns in to this completely different person that destroys her only hope that there are good people in the world.
I also thought is was really interesting that her mother believe that Pointer is such a good kind person too so he not only manipulates Hulga, but her mother as well. It was really ironic at the end of the story when her mother say that she wishes she was a simple good person like him, where really he just tricks Hulga into believing that he is this honest Christian whom just wants to help the world and preach the word of God while he is still live since he apparently has a heart condition. Which could be true seeing as he is always panting and tired but it seems like a way to get to Hulga and her mother due to Hulga’s heart condition; so they have something in common which is an easy way to intrude into someone’s life.
I also thought it was interesting that it was not the first time that he has taken advantage of someone with a disability; he admits that he has stolen a glass eye from another girl. So I just have to wonder why he goes after people with disfigurements. Maybe if he does have a heart condition he feels as if he has been abused and wants to do it to other people with problems. Or maybe he just goes after people with eccentricities because they have weaknesses in which they are self-conscious about and they become easy targets.