A Good Man Is Hard To Find Justice

The literal meaning of justice is ‘the quality of being morally right and fair’ but there are various theories which can be considered and compared since they all define justice in a different way.

During the story, Revelation Mrs. Turpin and her husband, Claude are in their doctor’s office waiting room to check her husband’s ulcer on his leg. In the doctor’s office Mrs. Turpin starts to make racist remarks that attract the attention of everyone in the office. The story takes place during the civil rights movement in the south, so this was common people of the south talk about black in this matter. Mrs. Turpin is a Christian and should not being judged anyone, for example, she states” I sure am tired of buttering up niggers” this shows her true mindset. This begins to upset Mary Grace a girl that is in the office with her mother. Mary grace’s mother and Mrs. Turpin are having a conversation about how ungrateful Mary Grace acts. Mrs. Turpin completely angered Mary Grace when she says” If

Mrs. Turpin in Flannery O’Connor’s short story Revelation, is a prejudice and judgmental woman who spends most of her life prying in the lives of everyone around her. She looks at people not for who they are, but for their race or social standing. In fact, Mrs. Turpin is concerned with race and status so much that it seems to take over her life. Although she seems to disapprove of people of different race or social class, Mrs. Turpin seems to be content and appreciative with her own life. It is not until Mrs. Turpin’s Revelation that she discovers that her ways of life are no better then those she looks down upon and they will not assure her a place in Heaven.

What is justice? Is it a fitting punishment for a crime? Or a court or officer of the law? Is it the law itself? It has many definitions and interpretations, depending on various people. Some interpret it very simply, saying that it is fairness in every situation. Others give the word more complication, saying that it is doing what is morally right and fair. Oxford Dictionary defines it as many things, including, “Just behaviour or treatment...The quality of being fair and reasonable.” Black’s Law Dictionary defines justice as, “The constant and perpetual disposition to render every man his due.” All are various meanings and interpretations of one, single, word, that has been explored in many books and novels, including one by Harper Lee. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the characters of Atticus and Mr. Raymond to show the meaning of true justice and how it transcends prejudicial divisions.

For example, in The Round House justice is what happens when the scale of morality is balanced out. As such, it is a concept of rightness. When someone does something wrong, they must pay for it. The recognition and consequences of their crime are recognized as justice. Justice has so many aspects to it that many people get caught up in the webs of the justice system. Some would argue that seeking justice

Despite what the dictionary says, there are many definitions of the word justice based on the world’s opinions. The opinions then depend on the situation at hand. There is the discussion of justice for the person who has been hurt, for the person who has conceived a crime, and even for those who have committed an accident. In the end, justice is intended to establish an equal solution for any circumstance. Every person in society deserves to be punished equally for the crimes they have committed to ensure justice is served.

The definition of justice differs for everyone. Some believe that justice is a form of revenge and is not always necessary, and other believe that it is needed in many situations. The idea of justice usually comes down to a person’s morals and ideals. In one instance in the short story “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston, the protagonist Delia finds justice against her husband after years of abuse. Comparatively, in “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner, the father Abner sees his outright jealously-filled revenge as justice. These two versions of justice are almost completely opposite, but in both character’s eyes their actions are justifiable.

Justice is defined by the fairness in protection of rights and punishment of wrongs. This concept intends to offer a fair punishment that fits the offense. The term itself holds a positive connotation, in contrast to the word injustice. The United States’ judicial system built its operations off of granting justice to those put on trial. Judges within the judicial system strive to hold fair trials in order to prosecute offenders accordingly.

Justice is the concept of moral rightness based on others behavior and actions. Justice is about making the truth visible, and sometimes even taking legal action. In the olden days justice was not as controlled or as proficient as it is now in today's day and age. There were a variety of justice and injustice represented in the story’s, Harrison Bergeron by Vonnegut, The Minister’s Black Veil by Hawthorne and Thank You Ma’am by Hughes.

Justice is a word that means something different to almost every person in the world. Yes, there will be some similarities among the array of definitions, but there will also be a plethora of differences. An American author and essayist, Flannery O’Connor, imbues her short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” with her position on the convoluted topic of justice. O’Connor’s point is that if one practices a just life it will echo into the lives of others which will result in a more just world. However, if one does not adopt the principles of justice, they will not find success. O’Connor’s views on justice are visible through her eldest main character, the grandmother. The grandmother’s manipulative and empowered personality expresses O’Connor’s ideas on equity; she embodies all things that are the opposite of how a just person should act. O’Connor’s convictions can also be translated into the work of Christopher Phillips titled Six Questions of Socrates in which a chapter is devoted to further understanding the meaning of justice. In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, O’Conner conveys her beliefs of justice through the grandmother; the grandmother’s selfish and entitled attitude manifests throughout the plot displaying O’Connor’s notions of justice.

The term justice is used in some of America's most treasured and valued documents, from the Pledge of Allegiance, to the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence. Everyone wants to be treated justly whether it's in the courtroom or the local bar. Most people would feel confident giving a definition for justice, but would it be a definition we could universally agree to? Given that justice is a very common term, and something we all want, it's important to have a precise definition. For hundreds of years philosophers have argued, debated, and fought over this topic. Justice can clearly be defined as the intention to conform to truth and fairness. This is true justice.

The conventional accounts of Justice normally begin by stating a fundamental rule of Aristotle – Justice is to treat equals equally and unequals unequally, and that unequal treatment should be in proportion to the inequality. In everyday life though, justice is seen as an attribute of law, while all laws are not necessarily just. Many great socio- political movements of the world have focused from time to time on unjust laws eg Apartheid laws in South Africa and Caste laws in India. Impartiality and fairness are understood to be the two aspects of justice. But it would be misleading to suggest that Justice refers solely to the fair application of a rule.

Justice, as one definition in the Oxford-English Dictionary, is the quality of being just or right as a human or divine attribute; moral uprightness; just behavior or dealing as a concept of principle. Those that deserve justice can be both good and bad people, but sometimes outside forces affect whether or not that justice is served, or if it is served in the right way at all. Two classic novels, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby both show how justice can work in both directions, even though both books have characters that did not get what they deserved in the end.

Within two classical works of philosophical literature, notions of justice are presented plainly. Plato’s The Republic and Sophocles’ Antigone both address elements of death, tyranny and immorality, morality, and societal roles. These topics are important elements when addressing justice, whether in the societal representation or personal representation.

“Justice is the art that gives each man what is good for his soul”. This statement is implies that justice is goodness and doing what’s right. This also implies that being a good person and doing good actions will in turn benefit the people by improving their Lives. Justice is good because it sets a standard of goodness that people in society would have to uphold and follow. Therefore this would lead to an environment of positivity and goodness for individuals. The Mariam-Webster dictionary gives the world one definition that states “Justice is the maintenance and administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of confliction claims”. However According to book one of The Republic by Plato, Justice is conveyed as a very complex topic that cannot be defined by a single definition. The topic of justice is discussed and broken down by Socrates, who asks the question “what is justice?” , he seeks out a definition from the company around him and through different given definitions of Justice, Socrates proves that there is no one definition for justice because there are many contradictions and exceptions that have to be considered in certain situations. In this essay I will discuss how justice relates to goodness and how it can be “the art that gives each man what is good for his soul” by using the Socrates’ discussion on the various definitions of justice from book one in The Republic by Plato.