Compare And Contrast A Good Man And Montresor

In Edger Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” an evil character exists. We can compare the two main vile characters. If we look at most villains we could see a lot of similarities in what may have brought them to turn evil, but in these two works specifically, we can compare in depth the similarities between “Amontillado’s” Montresor and “A Good Man is Hard to Find’s” the Misfit. Both the Misfit and Montresor feel as if life or someone has wronged them, which is excuse enough to kill. Are the murders these two antagonists committing acceptable because of how they have been wronged? Or are they just crazy men who should be locked up? In either case, both Montresor and The Misfit are equally

“The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had Borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” (Poe, 1108) Right away Montresor states this and as a reader, we start to feel sympathy for Montresor, he is the first character we are introduced to and because of this we naturally take his side. Of course at this point we don’t know what “revenge” really means, but by the end when we find out what his “revenge” entails our opinion of him most likely changes. His “revenge” of course is murdering Fortunato. He could no longer put up with the injuries he had borne and wanted to put an end to his own humiliation from being “insulted” by Fortunato. . Before he proceeds with the killing of his once friend Montresor thinks to himself, “It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my won 't, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (Poe, 1108). This text is so haunting and terrible how one could smile at the thought of a person’s immolation. We can also see in this text that the murder of his friend has been pre-determined and well thought out. This almost makes what he does worse because he knows how horrible of a murder he is going to commit. Although we

His murders may not be as planned out and meditated as Montresor but still as horrendous. At the start of the story we are introduced to a family. The family it is taking a trip when all of a sudden they get into a car accident. Earlier on in the story they foreshadowed in talking about the Misfit and all the horrible things he was doing. When they get into this car accident who should show up but the Misfit himself. “He had on blue jeans that were too tight for him and was holding a black hat and a gun.” (O’Connor 145) The family is hoping someone was stopping to help them but right away they could infer that this man was not there to help. He approaches them with his gun in his hand, the Misfit does not even pause for a second to show sympathy to this family who he does not know. When the Misfit approaches the Grandmother recognizes him, “you’re the misfit!” she said. “I recognized you at once.” The Misfit then gives a smug response,“Yes’m” the man said, smiling slightly as if she were pleased in spite of himself to be known” (O’Connor 145) He is happy to be known as the Misfit, in fact that is the name he gave himself. He doesn’t want to “fit in” he would rather be on the outside. He wants to think that because he is an outsider all the evil things he does is justified. Right before he kills the Grandmother she tries to get him to talk, he then explains a little about his life, “I call