With the many problems in the world today, the first step to solving them is acknowledging the depiction you see when you look inside a mirror. The prolific Southern author, Flannery O’Connor, brilliantly depicts this ideology in her prominent short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, which is one of her most famous Southern gothic style writings. This story is about an aged grandmother and her family traveling to Florida, in which a wrong turn and poor judgment leads them to their untimely death when they encounter the escaped convict, “The Misfit”. Flannery O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925 and was raised Roman Catholic. Her Southern region and her Christian faith played a major role in her writings, which analyzed inquiries …show more content…
of profound ethics and morals. She was known for introducing grotesque and peculiar characters in her works to convey her basis. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, Flannery O’Connor implies very clearly that one should look at themselves in the mirror and acknowledge their flaws before judging others.
In this story, there are 3 key pieces of evidence to support this justification. First, the story is loaded with flashbacks of “better times” that the grandmother describes, in which she entirely blames other elements for the social change. Second, when they encounter the escaped convict “The Misfit”, we learn of his acceptance and place in modern society, in which he upholds and acknowledges. Finally, the third and final piece of evidence is the disconnection between the 3 generations in the story and the selfish choices made between them that lead to the family’s unfortunate fate. Throughout the story we are introduced with many literary elements that Flannery O’Connor uses to illustrate the message of the story. The author uses flashbacks and foreshadowing very effectively to point out the strain that the grandmother had in accepting the social changes. In the story, while the family was on their way to Florida, they stopped at Red …show more content…
Sammy’s Famous Barbecue. While at Red Sammy’s, the grandmother and Red Sammy began discussing more suitable times from the past. Red Sammy then states, “A good man is hard to find [The title of the story] . . . Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more” (O’Connor 943). The grandmother then responds with her own judgment, issuing direct blame to an outside element. “The old lady said that in her opinion Europe was entirely to blame for the way things were now . . .” (O’Connor 943). The author’s use of flashbacks rewards the reader with a picture of what “better” times were like according to older generations. The reality is that the characters from the aging generation are judging the social changes in society. This causes them to blame other elements instead of addressing their own issues first. After the family’s ill-fated accident, Flannery O’Connor introduces us to the infamous “Misfit”, an estranged convict who recently escaped from Federal prison. Coincidentally, he encounters the family after their unfortunate accident. We come to find that even though he is an escapee with a long history of run-ins with the law, he has come to accept his place in society instead of protesting against it. The grandmother, unlike the “Misfit”, fails to acknowledge her own mistakes and then pleads him to pray and addresses him as a “good man”. We see the grandmother become more and more religious as she pleads him to let them go, but she does not pray herself. What she fails to realize is that the “Misfit” has long accepted his alienation from society and has superior knowledge of God compared to the grandmother.
Moments before the grandmother’s death, she cries out to the “Misfit”, “Jesus . . . You’ve got good blood! I know you wouldn’t shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. I’ll give you all the money I’ve got!” (O’Connor 950). However, “The Misfit” expressed skepticism in regards to Jesus raising the dead. He admitted that if he had been present when Jesus claimed to raise the dead, then maybe he wouldn’t have turned into the criminal that he was now, “. . . It ain’t right I wasn’t there because if I had of been there I would of known and I wouldn’t be like I am now” (O’Connor 950). The author used many literary devices in this piece of evidence, particularly symbolism and mood. The author sets a spiritual mood for the reader as the grandmother struggles to convince “The Misfit” out of killing her. The grandmother was at last alone with “The Misfit”, and her constant pleas were dismissed because her religious insight was no match for “The Misfit’s”. It was at this moment in time when she realized that she was to blame for the man standing before her and finally submits to her own flaws and selfishness, in which she felt
a moment of grace. Unfortunately, it was too late for “The Misfit”, in which he shot her 3 times the instant she tried to pass the grace on to him. One could infer that the author used Christian symbolism, with the 3 gunshots referring to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. It could also mean the 3 generations that were killed by “The Misfit”, the grandmother; her son Bailey and his wife; and John Wesley, June Star, and the infant child. Throughout the story we see and feel the disconnection between the 3 generations in this story. This is primarily because of the difference in beliefs and traditions, or perhaps the social changes are what set them apart. The lack of acceptance of one’s own flaws is what drives this disengaged family into their unfortunate fate. The author gives little dialogue to Bailey and his wife, which one could gather that there isn’t much communication between them. The children, June Star and John Wesley are rather rude and disrespectful at times, which perhaps could be due to the lack of discipline and poor parenting. Regarding as to why the grandmother has to go on the vacation trip, June Star rudely comments, “She wouldn’t stay home for a million bucks . . . Afraid she’d miss something. She has to go everywhere we go” (O’Connor 940). The grandmother is the root cause for the family’s disorder. Because of this, June Star, John Wesley, and the infant child are a product of the dysfunction between the older generations. Due to Flannery O’Connor’s clever use of literary terms such as flashbacks and symbolism, we got a clear understanding of the message she was trying to convey. As a reader, I gathered 3 pieces of evidence to support this: Blame, Self-acceptance, and Generational Differences. The lesson is simple: one should look at themselves in the mirror and acknowledge their flaws before judging others. Change has always been a hard element to grasp, leaving us feeling helpless as we struggle to adapt to the differences. It compels us to look into the past for comfort, which can feel like part of our identity has been lost with the passage of time. Resisting change because of one’s own selfishness can clutter the mind and can lead to poor decisions, just like the grandmother, whose poor judgment and opposition leads her family to their unfortunate death.
While reading Flannery O’Connor “A Good Man is Hard to Find” we read that a family of five are on a roadtrip to Florida where they go every year. We have The Grandmother who derailed her family from the actual road to see a house she thought was in those parts of town. When all of a sudden her helpers are the murders she is afraid of. The murder “The Misfit” kills off the rest of her family and leaves her to dwell in her sorrow that she will be next. The Grandmother tries to maneuver her way out of dying by sweet talking The Misfit into thinking she can love him as her own child and that he doesn’t have to kill anymore. When she tries to reach for him he moved back and shot her. The Grandmother didn’t want him to be violent anymore and thought
As I read Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, I find myself being completely consumed by the rich tale that the author weaves; a tragic and ironic tale that concisely and precisely utilizes irony and foreshadowing with expert skill. As the story progresses, it is readily apparent that the story will end in a tragic and predictable state due to the devices which O’Connor expertly employs and thusly, I find that I cannot stop reading it; the plot grows thicker with every sentence and by doing so, the characters within the story are infinitely real in my mind’s eye. As I consider these factors, the story focuses on two main characters; that of the grandmother, who comes across as self-centered and self-serving and The Misfit, a man, who quite ingeniously, also appears to be self-centered and self-serving. It is the story behind the grandmother, however, that evidence appears to demonstrate the extreme differences between her superficial self and the true character of her persona; as the story unfolds, and proof of my thought process becomes apparently clear.
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find is one of the most well-known short stories in American history. A Good Man Is Hard to Find is a disturbing short story that exemplifies grace in extremity as well as the threat of an intruder. The story tells of an elderly grandmother and her family who embark on a road trip to Florida. The grandmother is a stubborn old woman with a low sense of morality. While on the trip, the grandmother convinces her son to take a detour which results in a broken down car and an encounter with a convicted fugitive, The Misfit. Although the grandmother pleads for mercy, The Misfit kills off the rest of her family. Through the grace she finds in her extreme circumstance, the grandmother calls The Misfit her own and implores him to spare her life. The Misfit does not oblige her and states after her death, “She would have been a good woman if it had been someone to shoot her every day of her life.” Through Flannery O’Connor’s disturbing and shocking display of the grandmother’s demise, she gives the reader a sense of the threatening power of an intruder and the idea of extreme situations bringing about a state of grace. The reason for such a powerful work may have resulted from Flannery O’Connor’s religious upbringing as well as the state of the nation at the time.
The granny and the misfit are two completely opposite characters that possess two different beliefs. The grandmother puts herself on a high pedestal and the way she calls the misfit ‘a good person’ based upon his family background gives the reader an idea of what the grandmother acknowledges to be considered as ‘good’. Self absorbed as sh...
Flannery O’Connor's perception of human nature is imprinted throughout her various works. This view is especially evident in the short stories, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” and “Revelation.” She conveys a timeless message through the scope of two ignorant, southern, upper class women. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” O’Connor presents readers to a family who is going on a road trip with their selfish grandmother. She is a religious woman who does not follow the set standards that she preaches. Similar characteristics are exposed in “Revelation.” As the self centered Mrs. Turpin sits in the waiting room, she contemplates on her own status with God. Nevertheless, she still commits the sin of judging others. In both of O’Connor’s short stories, these controversial protagonists initially put up a facade in order to alienate themselves from their prospective societies. Although the grandmother and Mrs. Turpin both believe in God, O’Connor utilizes theme to expose that they also convince themselves that they can take on His role by placing judgement on people who, at the most fundamental level, are in the same category as them.
To buttress this she pointed out that even at the grandmothers death misfit confirmed her to be a good woman in his statement “she would have been a good woman if she was to face death every minute of her life” (437). In contrast to her opinion Stephen Bandy a notable literally critics in one of his articles “One of my babies “: The Misfit and the Grandmother” he compared the characters of both and argued that despite the fact that O`Conner claimed the grandmother was merely filled with “prejudice” of her time, He described the grandmother as racist, busy body and utterly self-absorbed. When she saw that her child and grandchildren was been killed tried to manipulate Misfit to spare her own life whereas she was the one that lead them to their death.
Flannery O’Connor, undoubtedly one of the most well-read authors of the early 20th Century, had many strong themes deeply embedded within all her writings. Two of her most prominent and poignant themes were Christianity and racism. By analyzing, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “Everything that Rises Must Converge,” these two themes jump out at the reader. Growing up in the mid-1920’s in Georgia was a huge influence on O’Connor. Less than a decade before her birth, Georgia was much different than it was at her birth. Slaves labored tirelessly on their master’s plantations and were indeed a facet of everyday life. However, as the Civil War ended and Reconstruction began, slaves were not easily assimilated into Southern culture. Thus, O’Connor grew up in a highly racist area that mourned the fact that slaves were now to be treated as “equals.” In her everyday life in Georgia, O’Connor encountered countless citizens who were not shy in expressing their discontent toward the black race. This indeed was a guiding influence and inspiration in her fiction writing. The other guiding influence in her life that became a major theme in her writing was religion. Flannery O'Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia, the only child of a Catholic family. The region was part of the 'Christ-haunted' Bible belt of the Southern States. The spiritual heritage of the region profoundly shaped O'Connor's writing as described in her essay "The Catholic Novelist in the Protestant South" (1969). Many of her 32 short stories are inundated with Christ-like allusions and other references to her faith.
Humankind has cast judgment for a very long time it is an innate part of human nature. As humans we cast judgment whether or not it is right or wrong we need to think about the repercussions of doing so. While there are various reasons to cast judgment whether it is through self-preservation or because of being self-centered. The critical take away from being judgmental is whether or not you are casting judgment where judgment is due.
Flannery O 'Connor utilizes multiple biblical references, such as Jesus raising the dead, to create a foundation for what the Grandmother and Misfit believe in terms of morality. The Grandmother references Christianity in a positive and redeeming sense while the Misfit claims that “Jesus was the only One that ever raised the dead, and He shouldn 't have done it. He shown everything off balance” (O’Connor 151). Her reality before the incident was the people such as the Misfit were evil, while those similar to her who grew up in the classic traditions of the south were better off. Although she was raised in a highly religious and proper setting, she does not realize the fault in her logic until she is staring down the barrel of a gun. The grandmother attempts to use this religion to save her life by telling the Misfit about prayer and salvation. By asking the Misfit "Do you ever pray?" and then repeatedly saying “pray, pray, pray”, she is attempting to show him the fact that he does not have to do evil acts because of his past (O’Connor 149). Because the Misfit does not view himself as evil, his reality is that his actions and beliefs are morally
In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” a family of six set out on a vacation to Florida while an extremely dangerous criminal is on the loose. The family takes the grandmother, who is outraged that the family is traveling while The Misfit is scanning the countryside. Throughout the short story, O’Connor drops many hints to the reader, ultimately leading to the terrifying climax. Foreshadowing is more commonly noticed the second time a story is read as opposed to the first. Readers will pick up on the hints that foreshadow the events to come. Foreshadowing is used when grandmother mentions The Misfit in the opening paragraph, when grandmother dresses formally in case of an accident, and when the graves are noticed in the cottonfield.
In" A Good Man is Hard to Find" there are a variety of themes. The themes in this short story are: the grace of the grandmother and The Misfit, the vague definition of a “good man”, and the class of the grandmother. All of these themes are apparent to any reader, but it does not quite seem to match O’Connor’s depth style way of writing. The two characters, the Grandmother and the Misfit change from beginning to end. Even though they are both different as night and day, they both have principles and stand by their principles no matter what the circumstance.
In "A Good Man is Hard to find" by Flannery O'Connor, one is struck by the unexpected violence at the end of the story. However, if the story is read a second time, reader can see definite signs of foreshadowing that hints to the ending of the story. Through O'Connor's technique of strong imagery to foreshadow the people and the events in the story is very compelling. There are two significant times that she uses this technique. They are the description of the grandmother's dress and the graveyard.
A stronger foreshadowing is when O’Connor states the reason for the grandmother’s beautiful dress, "In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady." (11). She herself predicts her own death.
Never once as the Grandmother was begging for her life, did she stop and beg for the life of her family. Her tactic to save herself went from “You wouldn’t shoot a lady would you?” (O’Connor), to “You’ve got good blood! I know you come from nice people” (O’Connor), then lastly to “If you would pray, Jesus would help you” (O’Connor). Yet to every beg the Grandmother made, the Misfit was completely honest with her, admitting that he would hate to have to kill a lady, but he would do it, admitting that he did come from good people but that he is not good, and admitting that he does not want Jesus’ help, that he is perfectly fine alone. Because the Misfit was so honest and open about who he was and his flaws, the Grandmother realized that she is not a “Good Man”. That she has been lying to herself and the people around her. The Misfit allowed the Grandmother to come to terms with who she really is a person. The Misfit giving her this eye opening realization before taking her life gave her the redemption she needed so
Flannery O’Connor is best known for her Southern Gothic writing style and grotesque characters. Dorothy Tuck McFarland states that “O’Connor created bizarre characters or extreme situations in order to attain deeper kinds of realism” (1). This writing style is seen in Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. Flannery O’Connor uses many techniques to gain the reader’s attention and keep them captivated. One way that O’Connor does this is by revolving her stories around symbols and integrating religious elements into her works. O’Connor is widely recognized for incorporating her Catholic faith into her stories. “She was a devout Roman Catholic, with a Southern upbringing” (Whitt 1). There are many types of ways to interpret “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. One method is by using formalist criticism. Formalist criticism exists when a reader can approach, analyze, and understand a story by using elements like the setting and symbolism.