Summary Of ' The Tale ' By O ' Connor 38

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.

Southern family preparing to go on what seems to be a typical vacation. The story is humorous at first because the reader is unaware of how the story will end. The tone changes dramatically from amusing to frightening and plays an important part in making the story effective.

In this tale a family takes a vacation to Florida where a murderer who calls himself the Misfit, who was well designed by O’Connor to represent the grotesque qualities of humanity, has just escaped from prison. During a brief lunch break in which the grandmother and store owner, Red Sammy, lament the ills of society and reminisce about how much better life used to be and how no one is good anymore; while ironically, they themselves are not the best people. Later, after a misinformed wrong turn, the grandmother’s smuggled cat gets loose and causes a damaging wreck, this angers her son Bailey but he doesn’t confront her immediately, he needs to attend to his wife who has suffered a broken shoulder. After a few minutes the Misfit and his henchmen find them and get out of their vehicle, they look like they might be about to offer help but the grandmother recognizes the Misfit and makes it obvious.

When this story started off the grandmother jumped right into selfish mode. Her son Bailey had planned a vacation for his family to Florida, but the grandmother did not want to go so she tried to get Bailey to go to Tennessee instead. After that, the grandmother did not want to leave her cat so she decided to hide it in the car, not even caring about if the cat can go or not. Since the grandmother decided to take her cat it caused them to have an accident when the grandmother had kicked the basket. That made Bailey run off the side of the road because the cat jumped on him.

The story starts off with a family of 6 prepping for their trip to Florida. However, the Grandmother within the first couple of lines shows how against it she is because of the escaped convicts known as the misfits. The reader is told that the Misfit is an escaped convict that is known as a notorious killer and is somewhere in Florida. Looking at the Grandmothers character and reasons for bringing this up the externally makes the Grandmothers pleas seem reasonable and the thought process of the rest of her family to be less reasonable but when examined thoroughly and internally there is more fault to the Grandmothers character than is let on.

The grandmother being a manipulative woman doesn’t value her life as it is, but longs for how it was in the past. “People are certainly not nice like they used to be” (298). The grandmother decides it would be better to go on a trip to Tennessee. After reading the newspaper and finding out The Misfit escaped from Federal Penn and is heading to Florida. She tries to persuade the family to change their plans, but they decide to go to Florida anyways. The grandmother desperately wants the children to see an old plantation that she visited as a child in Toombsboro. Unfortunately, while looking for the plantation, the family ends up in the path of The Misfit. In Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Connie goes to the drive in restaurant with her friends, where she comes across Arnold Friend. As Connie walks by Arnold Friend he says “Gonna get you baby” (371). This quote is a warning to Connie that he will come get her and hurt her. Connie stays home Sunday while her father; mother and sister go to a barbecue that afternoon. While she’s left alone Arnold and his friend Ellie come over to try and convince Connie to go on a drive with them. Both of these stories have paths that eventually lead to these characters to face evil.

This story is very heartbreaking and very as a grandmother is so attached to her roots and really wants her family to experience her culture and how her life, as they venture on a road trip toward Tennessee for vacation. The grandmother was very weary as there was a “misfit” on the loose. As she gets ready for the trip she decided to wear a dress, hat and flower as she wants to present herself as a “lady”. Here home state is Georgia as there is so much history in the cotton fields as states those are graves known as ‘gone with the wind”, as she wants this experience to be rewarding and along the journey there is extreme sadness and she and her family will fight for their life from the misfit, she had here fears to go on this trip and put

As the family ignores the grandmother’s request, they make a journey to Florida. Despite her age, she is naive and seems to only think of herself. On the way, she sneaks her cat into a basket, when Bailey has told her not to. This tells us that the grandmother will get what she wants.

Eventually, they have set out on a journey to Florida and the grandmother even brought her cat with her. After having lunch in a barbeque restaurant, the grandmother remembered an old plantation in a nearby area. However, Bailey does not want to stop the car for a detour. Hence, the grandmother made up lies; she said that in that house, there are hidden treasures and gems. This made her grandchildren scream and it irritated Bailey, so he turns the car towards the plantation. On the way there, the grandmother does not see the old plantation, this made her anxious, suddenly, the cat she brought with her, jumps out of the car and caused the car to run over the ditch. This made an accident and with that, she saw a group of people approaching her. Out of shock, she recognized the face of a serial criminal that is on a loose. With great tremor, she saw Misfit, and this caused her to tell him that she knows and recognized

The story begins with a seemingly normal family preparing for a trip to Florida. The Grandmother does not want to go to the chosen location, she makes this obvious by showing her son a newspaper article detailing the escape of a criminal, who is “headed

The irony of the story is that it is under the directions of the Grandmother that leads the family into a run in with The Misfit, which is what she told her son she would never do. Throughout the trip we are given examples of the racism that was present during this period. The Grandmother makes multiple racist innuendos such as her observation of the “cute little pickaninny,” and her statement that “little niggers in the country don’t have things like we do” (O’Conner 2). During the ride, The Grandmother convinces Bailey to take a detour down an old, dirt road which supposedly leads to an old southern plantation home she once visited. The road leads them deep into the woods where an accident is caused by The Grandmothers cat, which leaves the car upturned and the family stranded. It is then the family encounters The Misfit, whom discovers them stranded as he was passing by. He approaches the family with two young men and shortly after The Grandmother lets out a scream as she realizes him. During their encounter, the readers are given a small glimpse into the deranged mind of The Misfit. It is apparent that he has an upturned moral compass. He gains pleasure from committing crimes and the meanness that goes along with it. During his conversation with the Grandmother, he slowly has his men take members of the family out

As the family voyages on a vacation, a manipulative grandmother insists on visiting an old house she remembers from when she was young. By persisting and hinting, she gets the entire family to turn around to search for the house. From the beginning the grandma has not been tolerable. She argued over going to Tennessee over Florida, she packed her cat into her suitcase knowing it was not allowed, she did not spare the truth when upon realizing the house they were searching for was in fact not in Georgia, where they were, but in Tennessee. The family ended in an automobile accident on their way to the non existing house. They encounter the Misfit as he comes down to conversate with the family. The Misfit is a serial killer that has escaped prison, and has just encountered a family to

The setting of this story takes place on the back roads of Georgia. The grandmother is a very enthusiastic Christian who enjoys telling stories. In the beginning of the story her motive is to visit friends in TN. Even though she does not get her way, she rides along on the road trip with her family to FL. When they come across The Misfit that she read about in the newspaper she tries to save her and her family’s lives by making The Misfit realize his faith and she tries to make him believe he is a good person. Her son Bailey simply wants to take a smooth road trip to FL with his family, without any problems. When they come across The Misfit his motive is to be "the hero" and save his family by standing up to The Misfit. I feel the children's mother did not play an important role in this story. She is just along for the ride and has no real motive. The children John Wesley and June Star want to have fun on their family

The children and the ways of the grandmother symbolized the division between the generations in the story. The children, June Star and John Wesley, represent a new generation of unruly and disrespectful people. On the other hand, the grandmother represents the strong, southern heritage and stubborn godly beliefs. The two conflict when they discuss going to Tennessee rather than go to Florida, which is what the grandmother wants to do. June Star, who can read the grandmother like a book, remarks after John Wesley told his grandmother to stay at home if she did not want to go to Florida, "She wouldn't stay at home for a million bucks. Afraid she'd miss something. She has to go everywhere we go." This is a prime example of the loss of respect the children had for the grandmother. The grandmother does nothing but reply, "Alright, Miss." The generation gap creates a stir, but the outcome of the two coinciding might be positive.

"You will not harm those I love. Especially not her." Narchand bellowed as he erupted into flames. He released his strongest attack and blasted away Strumgar. Strumgar was banished to the starry heaven which bordered the land like a moat. To empty space, still plotting his revenge.