The Grandmother Deception

O’Connor introduces the grandma immediately to the story and right away the readers can tell that the grandma is very irritating. “’Now look here, Bailey,’ she said, ‘see here, read this,’ and she stood with one hand on her thin hip and the other rattling the newspaper at his bald head” (O’Connor, 405). Throughout the story the grandma continues her exasperating ways by ignoring her son’s orders to not bring the cat in the car and manipulating her grandkids and son to get what she wants. Bailey, the son is portrayed as uptight and easily upset, throughout the story Bailey seems to just ignore the grandma and all her comments “She asked Bailey if he would like to dance but he only glared at her” (O’Connor, 408). And later in the car he explodes after the grandma and children keep nagging to go to an old plantation she use to go to.

Another virtue the grandmother lacks is courage. Courage is “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger with self-possession, confidence and resolution” (Courage). When The Misfit arrives, the grandmother is nothing but a coward. She exhibits no self-possession, “Alone with The Misfit, the grandmother found that she had lost her voice” (O’ Connor 1116), displayed here when she can’t even speak. She also has no resolution to the situation but to give The Misfit her money, “‘I’ll give you all the money I’ve got!’” (O’ Connor

The Grandma is prim and proper and self-acclaimed to be very ‘lady like’ yet is extremely crass in her mannerisms. From the very beginning of the story the grandmother begins to show her selfish ways. “…and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did." (O’Connor 1). Though the grandmother is not specific in her selfishness, it seems her indirectness is what gets her nowhere in her statements. As a result of this, neither her children nor her grandchildren do not show reverence for her. Without the parents respect for the Grandmother, there is no possibility for her to gain the grandchildren’s respect. Here again we have another character whose role was not the main role, but one who has a lesson to teach if the reader is willing to dig deep enough to find

She intentionally lies about the house having a secret panel just to get the kids interest so that Bailey would be more likely to stop and visit. The grandmother is also portrayed as being very loud and outgoing. When the family stops at the restaurant, she carries on a conversation with a complete stranger. She also wants to get up and dance.

The grandmother in the beginning seems to be a very curious, kind, and old fashioned woman. As the story progresses she turns into this self-centered selfish woman. She appears like this in times like when she tells story’s (old fashioned) about her past experiences and the excited way she points out things (innocence and kindness.). I dislike that her curiosity is what lead the family to their death. Overall she remained the only character I liked so when she was killed I was left disappointed.

The grandmother is the central character in the short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” by Flannery O’Connor. She is also a very well rounded and dynamic character. She shows various characteristics and reveals various remarks as they story progresses. Some of her qualities include selfish and a pushy person. She is also kind of manipulator in a way that she insists her family to change the plan. At the beginning of the story when we first realize her desire to visit her childhood house, she is being a very selfish person. Examining her conversation with her son Bailey, the grandmother is moreover a pushy person. She is convincing Bailey to change the trip plan according to her need only and which will

Selfishness is another negative characteristic of the grandmother, along with being self-centered. On page 118 the grandmother was all dressed up so, “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (O’Connor 118). This is the first time readers see her conceited quality. She wants to make sure everyone knows that she was a first-class citizen and lady. This ironically happens

The grandmother is the master manipulator in this story. She tries to get anything she wants even if it means putting others’ lives in danger and by manipulating others to make her point. The grandmother after several attempts of trying to get attention from her son, Bailey and her daughter in-law, but to no avail, she decided to go see a plantation knowing that Bailey would not pay attention to her, she then turns to the children and lies about a secret panel, “There was a secrete panel in this house, and the story went that all the family’s silver was hidden in it when Sherman came through but it was never found” (O’Connor 312), she knows if she lies to the kids it will cause them to throwing a fit in the car which will in turn draw Bailey’s attention to

O'Connor does the same thing here; the grandmother's first action was to convince her son, Bailey, into going were she wanted to go, a selfish act, not a trait that we see a grandmother having. Also she thought out a plan to get what she wanted by acting as if she cared about her family's safety. "Now looks here, Bailey........ see here, read this...Here this fellow that calls himself the Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed towards Florida and you read here what is says he did to these people(328)." The grandmother's relationship right away to the reader is one that can not be trusted. Throughout the story you now question the grandmother's intentions, are they honest or selfish.

Panic gripped the grandmother when she realized she knew who the Misfit was, and that she was going to die. Her persuasion tactics were not as cunning as Marion’s, but she tried her best to point out her importance as a lady and complimented him, “You don't look a bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from nice people!”(O’Connor). The grandmother begged for her own life to be saved, but didn’t mention the rest of her family members besides yelling, "Bailey Boy!"(O’Connor) pathetically after her son. Terror brought out the grandmother’s persuasiveness and the use of mystery and suspense heightened the characters’

The Grandmother is not a lady and a good Christian woman from the beginning of the story she is introduced to be unlikable by complaining and trying to manipulate her son and his wife to go to Tennessee instead of Florida. She proves herself selfish when she sneaks Pitty Sing, the cat into the car disregarding her son's wishes. Throughout the story, she judges and tries to push her morals on to everyone this is evident throughout the story but especially when the family stops at Red Sam’s to eat. The Grandmother asks Red Sam’s wife if she is ashamed of where she lives insinuating that she should be. If she was truly good she would not have tried to make the wife feel ashamed of her own home but instead stayed quiet or pointed out good qualities.

This is the most debated part of the story. The men get out and the Grandmother realizes that one of the men is the Misfit. One of the men takes the men from the family into the words to kill them. I have heard many of my classmates say that the grandmother shows no emotion in the killings of her family, but I disagree with these key statements made as they are taken away “Bailey boy!” the grandmother called in a desperate voice” or the instance where she tries to humanize him as stated “I know you’re a good man,” she said desperately.”

The grandmother demonstrates that she does not see things for how they truly are. We see this when they are driving down to Florida and she sees a Negro boy and goes “ Look at the cute little pickaninny!” (O’Connor 251). She then goes on about in the past, they never had pants because they were expensive, but she goes how cute at a poor boy. Not realizing that the little Negro was poor and had nothing. Also, when the misfit comes and attacks them, she tells him over and over again “ Listen,”... “ I know you’re a good man. You don’t look a bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from good people!” (O’Connor 259). She says this that based on his appearance, which he looks fair, but has strong white teeth, which was uncommon at the time and signifies wealth, that he will not kill a lady because she has manners and feel she is above everyone because of these

Only when the grandmother is facing death, in her final moments alone with the Misfit, does she understand where she has gone wrong in life. Instead of being superior, she realizes, she is flawed like everyone else. When she tells the Misfit that he is “one of [her] own children,” she is showing that she has found the ability to see others with compassion and understanding.

The Grandmother wants the Misfit to receive salvation from God, so that he can be forgiven for his sins. Even though the Grandmother got the family into this mess, she can still be viewed as the hero.