Characteristics of Good Country People

During this reread of Good Country People, I paid attention to each character's traits. I kept questioning, "what makes them them?" and "what makes them do the things they do in the story?"

These are some of the key characteristics/quotes from/about the characters that I find to be the most important:

HULGA --

- highly educated
- "lumber into the bathroom...slam the door"
- Joy called them Glycerin and Caramel (reference to Mrs. Freeman's girls - jealousy)
- "If you want me, here I am - LIKE I AM" (to Mrs. Hopewell)
- stumped into the kitchen
- arms folded
-Ph.D.
- "...brilliant but didn't have a grain of sense" (Mrs. Hopewell about Joy)
- bloated
- rude
- squint-eyed
- she looked at nice young men...smell their stupidity
- freezing blue eyes
- her heart stopped and left her mind to pump her blood

POINTER --

- pretending to look puzzled
- just a country boy
- he was so sincere, genuine, earnest
- he was...the salt of the earth
- "It's because I may die"
- bouncing on his toes
- bouncing at her side
- watching her out of the corner of his eye
- real innocence
- no longer had any admiration
- you ain't so smart
- he was so simple

MRS. HOPEWELL --

- They were good country people (Freemans)
- Mrs. Hopewell had no bad qualities of her own
- "nothing is perfect"
- "that is life!"
- "well, other people have their opinions too"
- she was a woman of great patience
- would ahve been better if the child had not taken the Ph.D.

I think the most interesting idea that I got out of this reread was that the characters seem to think they are so in tune with themselves, and each other, but there is always one character who is slightly ahead of the other.

Ex. - Mrs. Hopewell refers to Pointer as "good country people," while he refers to himself as "country people," or "country boy." He gives the impression that he agrees with Mrs. Hopewell, yet he knows all along what his true colors are.