Joy Hulga
Hopewell is one of the most ironic characters ever created by Flannery OConnor, an author who
lovedof almost every kind. One of the most ironic aspects of Hulga (one of the main characters
in ) is that she understands herself so little, even though she prides herself on her wide
reading and deep knowledge. Examples of such irony include the following:
- Hulga realizes that she has a weak heart physically, but she has no idea just how
weak her heart is spiritually and in terms of compassion and concern for other
people. - At one point, Hulga exclaims to her mother,
Woman! Do you ever look inside? Do you ever look inside and see
what you are not? God!
The irony here is exceptional: of
course, it is really Hulga who never looks inside and Hulga who has no idea what she is not. It
is also Hulga who fails to realize that she isn't God -- aO'Connors' phrasing here
permits.
- Similarly, Hulga also quotes Malbranche as saying We
are not...
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