A Good Man Is Hard To Find Analysis

Why The Misfit Killed The Grandmother In O’Conner’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”

both the instances she could not save the victims. The implied conclusion is to accept that the

Working Thesis: In “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, O’Connor uses the corrupt, manipulative character of the grandmother, as well as the story’s plot and theme in order to emphasize the flaws of the church and the need for grace.

In the Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” we find out that the title indicates of what the story is about. The title actually came from the lyrics of a song written by Eddie Green in 1918. The title of “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Conner is quite ironic really. The reader expects to eventually find a good man in the story, but is quite surprised at the ending of the story. The title "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is expressed clearly in this story by introducing a variety of male personalities that all have one thing in common; they are not truly good men.

In “A Good Man is Hard to Find” there are a few characters who are in constant conflict. The grandmother, as all other grandmothers, can run a person’s ear into the ground with her eccentric views and aimless ramblings. She is never direct and spins her conversations into long detailed stories. Her inability to stop talking is what ends up getting her killed (959). Every so often there is peace and quiet, but not that often. Bailey her son often shows discontent for his mother. She apparently gets on his nerves, but there is probably still love for her although the story never quite expresses it. The children wonder why the grandmother came along, but they know she would not have stayed at the house even if she could have been “‘queen for a day’” (948). The grandmother’s clothing makes her stand out as a prominent old lady so much that if she were to be found dead on the side of the road, people would at once recognize that she is a lady (948). The reader can tell the grandmother is

In Flannery O'Connor's short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find", a southern family is taking a vacation to Florida, but the real journey takes place inside the family's lives. One question that comes up in the story is what the definition of a good man is and how there is so few of them left in the world. Many of the characters in the story think of themselves as good people based on moral codes that they stand by. These moral codes are deeply flawed however, leaving each character blinded by their own self-righteousness.

n the Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” we find out that the title indicates of what the story is about. The title actually came from the lyrics of a song written by Eddie Green in 1918. The title of “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Conner is quite ironic really. The reader expects to eventually find a good man in the story, but is quite surprised at the ending of the story. The title "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is expressed clearly in this story by introducing a variety of male personalities that all have one thing in common, they are not truly good men.

There is a saying, “expect the unexpected.” This turns out to be true in many works of literature, and to some, it may seem so in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” However, the author, Flannery O’ Connor, subtly provides hints that foreshadows the tragic demise of the family. Through the grandma choosing to have the vacation in Tennessee instead of Florida, the grandma’s fancy ladylike outfit, the descriptive scenery, and the drive during the trip, O’Connor foreshadows the family’s fatal encounter with The Misfit.

“A Good Man emphasizes, in what seems a deliberate parallel with the opening of Paradise Lost, the power of demonic character traits. Then the book outlines, in its own version of Milton’s Dialogue in Heaven, the power of Divine Providence for conquering the demonic” (Loomis). Flannery O’Conner has hidden descriptive actions and characteristics of how the Misfit is comparable to religious acts. She writes as if he is demonic and how he chooses to be like this because he doesn’t believe he needs help. “Even though she once stated that The Misfit had a “more profoundly felt involvement with Christ’s action” than did the superficially pious Grandmother whom he killed,

“She’s crying hard now, and I’m crying too… I know. I’m sorry, mom,” he writes. Both Brent and his mom figure some things out during that extremely emotional moment. Once Brent realized what he had done, he felt horrible for his family. There was a surplus of times throughout the book that his family got emotional about him being alive as well as his recovery.

“I missed my sons whole life. I missed his birth. I didn’t get the birthdays, I didn’t get the Christmas’. That is what hurts the most, is my son,” said Dail who began to get choked up.

In Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find, she addresses how much GOD loves HIS children. O’Connor was a devout Roman Catholic, and her beliefs show through her writings. In a Good Man is Hard to Find, she illustrates her beliefs through a family trip ending in tragedy but also a humbling realization that everyone is equivalent. O’Connor illustrates that no matter how horrible a person is in his or her life, GOD will always love them.

In O’Connor’s short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” the setting contributes to the reader's understanding of Bailey's out of tune family. We can assume the story took place in the post-war mid century era given the fact that O’Connor wrote this story in 1953 and when the grandmother says, “the way Europe acted you would think we were made of money” (O’Connor). During the 1940’s and 1950’s the backbone of the American dream was “hard work, family values, and hope” (Desmond). Families from back then were big on respect and took family time seriously. When comparing a traditional mid century family to Bailey's family there is a distinct difference that allows us to label them as a dysfunctional family. Although we do not get a look into the family's work ethic, we do get a close enough look to see their lack of family values. Throughout the story there are several times where the family reveals that they are clearly flawed with the words they choose to say or simply with their actions.

Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find’ tells of a seemingly normal family with a bit of dysfunction. Throughout this tale, the author fabricates a number of characters, some inconsiderable, others full of depth and history that present themselves wildly open to interpretation. Looking into O’Connor’s past, it is clear to see her relationship with a number of these fictional minds and pull from these the meaning behind her hidden pain and anguish. We are therefore presented with a mother and sons family who are prisoners in a manipulative, destructive relationship.

In the short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” the author, Flannery O’Connor communicates literary symbols and prominence of Southern culture. Within the story, there are subtle yet important details that make the entirety of the piece as iconic as it is. The reoccurring theme of being a lady and moral codes both are important to the overall concept of the story.