The Ironic Tail
...ngness in Hulga’s mind when she opens a book that Hulga has been reading. The passage is underlined: “Nothing – how can it be for science [. . .] science wishes to know nothing of nothing” (399). Hulga also makes known to the salesman on their walk to the barn that she believes in nothing: “I’m one of those people who see through to nothing” (406). Since Hulga believes in nothing, the bible in this story has an ironic symbolic interpretation, too. Religion is based on belief in a higher power, whereas Hulga scoffs at the belief in anything, except her higher intellect, which she believes ascends above everyone else. In addition to the leg being symbolic, there is also a literal interpretation that can be assessed as holding someone up or something used for support. This in itself is irony, because Hulga makes a point of proving her independence by walking very fast ahead of the bible salesman across the pasture and through the woods that lead to the barn (404). She also climbs up the ladder into the loft without his help after he says, “It’s too bad we can’t go up there” (406). When the salesman takes Hulga’s wooden leg away in the loft, he makes her not only physically, but emotionally helpless. She realizes she has been tricked by a man who she thought was beneath her, which certainly makes her feel stupid. So the irony is after being tricked by a supposed weak underling, she realizes she is not so strong and smart after all. In the end, the salesman is actually the independent clever one. Although the wooden leg is a crucial irony in spinning the theme at the end of the story, there are two other ironies to consider -- Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman’s responses to seeing the salesman leaving in the distance. The name Hopewell is symbolic for hoping everything goes well. The reader can see this when Mrs. Hopewell names her daughter Joy and tries to overlook the bad things in her and just sees the good. She does that with Mrs. Freeman, too. The narrator gives a very insightful glimpse into the general outlook of Mrs. Hopewell’s thoughts about life: “[. . .] people who looked on the bright side of things would be beautiful even if they were not” (398). This is a somewhat simplistic way of life, although not all bad, but simplistic all the same. Mrs. Hopewell sees the salesman in the distance and says, “[. . .] He was so simple, but I guess the world would be better off if we were all that simple” (409). This is ironic, because she is actually the one who is a simple character, and the salesman is the more complex character. Now Mrs. Freeman on the other hand, said simple things, because of her servitude, but she is not a simple character. In fact, she is a very controlling person and more intelligent than the other characters give her credit for. Her name symbolizes freedom; freedom to move around, freedom to snoop, freedom of speech, and yes, even freedom to control. Although she is a somewhat quiet character, Mrs. Freeman is always attentive to what is going on and is inadvertently in control of most situations. She hovers around the kitchen when Mrs. Hopewell and Hulga are eating, listening to every word that is said. She keeps most of her thoughts to herself except when she wants to make a point. And Mrs. Freeman knows how to get her point across so as to make someone listen. For instance, the day she begins using the name Hulga (398), when Hul...