How does the setting of the story contribute to the Religious aspect of the story?
O'Connor sets "Good Country People," aptly enough, in the country. The setting represents a mixture of simplicity and restriction, as evidenced through the thoughts and actions of Hulga, neé Joy.
Despite having attained a doctorate, Hulga lives at home, largely immobilized due to her prosthetic limb. Just as her wooden leg presents a physical restriction, her situation in the country represents a mental restriction, at least for Hulga. She believes that she is much wiser than her mother and neighbors, and she resents their less-than-cynical approaches to life. Thanks to her handicap and inability to move forward, either intellectually or physically, she dubs herself "Hulga" to reflect her hopeless life.
Drawing a connection between country life and unseasoned naivety, Hulga extends this generalization to Christianity in the country. Though lacking her mother's purported appreciation for "good country people," Hulga does attach simplicity and innocence to Christians in the country. For this reason, she plans to seduce the Bible salesman, thinking he is like any other country dweller. Instead, it is he who seduces her, shattering even Hulga's already jaded worldview.
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