Theme is defined as the main idea or ideas that the author wants the reader to understand. Most pieces of literature (movies, TV scripts, plays, stories, novels, etc.) have many themes. You can find the theme by saying: ____________________ (name of the work) is a story about ____________________ (first thing that comes to mind).
In "Good Country People," some of the themes include:
1. identity--Joy changes her name to "Hulga," and she has trouble identifying with the 'good country people' surrounding her mother's home since she feels they are ignorant and beneath her.
2. education--Hulga, an educated woman with a PhD considers herself much more intelligent than all the people around her. It is this false sense of security that allows her to be duped by the Bible salesman.
3. faith--Hulga doesn't have any. She is obviously above blind faith of the simple creatures in the country. She considers herself worldly and experienced, not in need of faith. On the other hand, Manley,the Bible salesman seems to be full of faith until they get in the hayloft. Then, he proves he also is without faith and has used Hulga just to get her leg.
4. reality vs. illusion--Hulga is not all she seems to be, and neither is Manley. As far as that goes, the country people Hulga considers ignorant aren't as dumb as she assumed.
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