Foreshadowing in Flannery O' Connor's A Good Man Is Hard to Find

Leonard, Douglas Novich. “EXPERIENCING FLANNERY O'CONNOR'S "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"”.Interpretations 14.2 (1983): 48–54.

Two more pertinent points are made by the author, in regards to the grandmother, follow in quick succession; both allude to further yet-to-be seen gloom within the story. O’Connor writes of the grandmother “[s]he didn’t intend for the cat to be left alone in the house for three days because he would miss her too much and she was afraid he might brush against one of the gas burners and accidentally asphyxiate himself” (1043) and of the way she is dressed “[i]n case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (1043). These two observations are innocent enough on the surface but provide true intent on the foreshadowing that O’Connor uses throughout the story. It is these two devices, irony and foreshadowing, that I feel are prominent and important aspects of the story and are evidenced in my quest to decipher this story.

When an author writes a story, he or she will generally use different writing techniques to create the piece. These techniques have the ability to turn a story into something truly unique, as they allow the story to unfold in it’s own way. In the short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, author Flannery O’Connor used the techniques of symbolism and foreshadowing throughout the entire piece to create a deeply captivating story, as so many of the details mentioned in the beginning of the story are glimpses of the end.

   Good and bad. Right and wrong. Guilty and Innocent. These are just a few of the many themes that surround everyone's life. Everyone has their own opinion about certain issues, and they depend on their values, judgment, and beliefs to see them through their difficulties. Flannery O'Connor was quoted as saying "I see from the standpoint of Christian orthodoxy. This means the meaning of life is centered in our Redemption by Christ and that what I see in the world I see in relation to that" (Contemporary Authors 402). These themes are present in O'Connor's story "A Good Man is Hard to Find." The story is about a grandmother, a "good" woman who goes on

Flannery O’Connor was known for her strong religious background, Catholicism, and used her faith as the underlying message in her works. In the story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” there are a couple of things that can be traced directly to Christianity. The little boy, John Wesley, symbolizes the religious denomination of Methodism. John Wesley, along with his brother Charles Wesley, founded the

The twist and turns of “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” leave the reader perplexed and riveted, relaying that the utmost thought went into the outline of the story. The author leaves the readers waiting for good to prevail over evil but never lets them have their intended ending as most stories do which is what gives this story it 's intriguing draw. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find” Flannery O’Connor uses literary techniques such as conflicts, foreshadowing, imagery, simile, and irony to create eccentric characters and a twisted plot.

Another great example of foreshadowing is how the grandma’s outfit is described in the story. She is suspiciously wearing her finest clothes for just a road trip. The narrator expresses, “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (O’Connor 485). In addition, the theme of the story is having trouble finding good in people. The grandmother seems to be in search of a good man, but is hard to find, hence the title of the story. When the family is off their rout to Florida and gets in a car accident on a deserted dirt road, they happen to encounter The Misfit. The grandma tries to side with The Misfit and persuade him that he is a good man. She cries out, “You’ve got good blood! I know you wouldn’t shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people” (O’Connor 493). Towards the end of the story, O’Connor brings up the Misfits upbringings because the grandmother is trying to relate her good self with The Misfit’s good blood and how he must come from nice people. The narrator referred to Hiram as one of the bad escaped criminals and Red Sammy as the good owner of the Tower

Flannery O’Connor’s short stories “A good man is hard to find” and “Revelation” share many similarities. While “A good man is hard to find” is about a family that goes on a vacation that ultimately results in all of their deaths. “Revelation” is about a woman who is very judgmental and looks down on people. In the end both characters have revelations that contrast with who they are and how they portray themselves to the world.

O’ Connor did not mention five or six grave fence by accident, it matches the exact number of the people in the car including the baby. Bayley continues driving and eventually stops in Red Sammy that was a barbeque place where the grandmother ask Red Sammy the store manager if he had heard about The Misfit. Red Sammy respond he wouldn’t be surprised if he encounters his place. Red Sammy’s also mentions that “A good man is hard to find ..”Everything is going terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more” (O’Conner357). O’Conner has foreshadow the inevitable encounter with The Misfit with Red Sammy’s

Their were many examples of foreshadowing that I noticed in "A Good Man is Hard to Find", but a few were the death of the grandmother and her family and also the foreshadowing with the misfit. Throughout the story their is a death imagery. At the beginning when the grandmother is getting ready to go on a trip, she dresses as if she was going to die soon, "anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady". As the family passed by a cotton field in the car they notice that theirs about five fenced in graves, which possibly connects to the deaths of the five people in the car. The second example of foreshadowing is how the grandmother explains that she "wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like

The grandmother is so focused on the escape of the Misfit that she recognizes him as soon as he is out of the car and looking at them. "You're The Misfit!" she said. "I recognized you at once!". The main conflict between the grandmother and the Misfit revolves around Jesus.

Mary Flannery O’Connor, the writer of many short stories known for their cruel endings and religious themes, wrote “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” in 1955. “Her works combine flat realism with grotesque situations; violence occurs without apparent reason or preparation.” (Roberts 429). “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is about a southern family’s trip to Florida which takes a dramatic turn. This story was written in O’Connor’s first collection of short stories. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is a compelling story of tragedy that utilizes humor and irony to draw the reader’s attention, and two major characters to convey the authors central theme.

Flannery O 'Connor is a Christian writer, and her work shows Christian themes of good and evil, grace, and salvation. O’Connor has challenged the theme of religion into all of her works largely because of her Roman Catholic upbringing. O’Connor wrote in such a way that the characters and settings of her stories are unforgettable, revealing deep insights into the human existence. In O’Connor’s Introduction to a “Memoir of Mary Ann,” she claims that Christians live to prepare for their death. This statement is reflected in her other works, including her short story “A Good Man is Hard To Find.” After reading “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” many questions remain unanswered

Flannery O’Connor is an American short story writer and her short story “Good Country People” depicts Hulga, a highly educated woman and has a PhD, is being jerked around by an immoral bible salesman. “A good man is hard to find”, also written by O’Connor, is a short story of a grandmother and her family murdered by a horrible man who called “the misfit” during the road trip to Florida. Although “Good country people” and “a good man is hard to find” are written by the same author, many elements in those two stories cause them have similar themes in religion, misplaced trust and protagonist and antagonist.

The Misfit is a criminal who ran across the family after the crashed their car in the woods. The Misfit lives by a moral code that involves murder and remorselessness, but he withal spends time wondering about Jesus. Because he does not ken for sure whether Jesus authentically raised the dead, he has opted for "meanness" as a way of giving his life designation. He does not optically discern himself as a terrible person. Bailey's wife and the mother of John Wesley, June Star, and a baby. The mother breaks her shoulder in the car crash and is eventually killed by the Misfit's henchmen. His two henchmen kill the entire family, and the Misfit shoots the grandmother himself. On the other hand, the grandmother has the gift of powerful persuasion. During the family's journey to Florida, the grandmother suggests that they visit an old house she recollects, a conception that leads to a car contingency and the murder of everyone in the group. Afore she is killed, the grandmother recollects that the house is authentically in Tennessee, nowhere near where she verbally expressed it was. She endeavors to reason with the Misfit but only enrages him. She experiences a moment of grace right afore the Misfit shoots her. Bailey seems to dote his mother, but her needling demeanor sometimes gets the best of him. He gives in to the grandmother's request to visit the old