Change is something that many people find difficult and tough to cope with as it goes against what that person may feel is correct or normal to do. Throughout ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find’ we are faced with a outdated old woman who's has her ways challenged to the point that her tone and attitude are completely revised by the conclusion of the story. Although from the beginning one would thing change is impossible with a woman such as the Grandmother, we soon realize when a self centred person is in danger they will do anything to live. Many people would feel no compassion or sadness in regards to the woman and her losses, primarily due to her racial negative attitude up until the bitter end of her life. The transformation displayed in ‘A Good …show more content…
Prior to the grandmother’s transformation in the story the reader can view her as bitter, narcissistic, somewhat conniving.The non existent remorse she displays is captured perfectly by the author during the grandmother’s time with Red Sammy. It is her that she declares to Red Sammy’s wife, “aren’t you ashamed.”(7). This is being said to his wife following her calling June Star saying “ain’t she cute”(7). The grandmother can be viewed as bitter when she tells Red Sammy, “People are certainly not as nice as they used to be.” (7) It is following this that her and Red Sammy are able to go on about the terrible situation that present day society finds themselves trapped in. The narcissism found within her is quite prominent throughout the early text where she decides it is her opportunity to pick the families vacation spot. The …show more content…
Being that it is a change intended for the reader to feel some type of compassion or minor sympathy for the grandmother even after she sets the family off track and gets on the wrong side of a national fugitive. In reality this change was one to be expected of any human facing a life threatening situation. Even at that we can still see the original ways of the grandmother glistening through. A great example of this would be when she says to the killers face, “I know you wouldn't shoot a lady!”(20). This statement is one that can prove her as one that cannot let down her pride even at times where it is life or death. One of the most baffling examples of the grandmother being unable to swallow up her pride and fully accept a change is near the turning point in the story when she says, “I believe I injured an organ.” (12) At this point the reader begins to feel near fed up with this old woman as she has time and again turned things she caused around to make others feel compassion for her. At this point after the family ignores her it seems she truly become helpless and beings to move into the helpless old lady role. It is directly before her death that we truly see a non snarky comment from her when she indicates to The Misfit, “Why you’re one of my babies….”(21) At this one moment the reader must stop and think maybe deep down inside of this elderly woman there was some good maybe she
The character grandmother in O’Connor’s story has grounds the reality of the events and drives the family into tragedy. She is a central character in O’Connor’s story and is depicted to be a dynamic character stuck in the old ways. Through her actions and the idea of being stuck in the old ways of thinking, she leads her family into tragedy. Being the main character in the story, Grandmother significantly adds to the development of the plot. The author manages to win the attention of the reader from this character owing to the manner in which she shapes the storyline. Grandmother’s reminiscing of the old ways claims a distinctive curiosity from the reader and helps in
A literal interpretation of the grandmother portrays an elderly southern woman attempting to maintain the proper and genteel values of the South. The grandmother places great importance on her appearance and the opinions of others. This importance is revealed at the beginning of their journey when the story compares the grandmother, a reflection of the past, to the daughter-in-law, a reflection of the present:
From the outset of the story The Grandmother was concerned about her appearance and social status, as it pertains to perception. This behavior is displayed in the text — as well as in other places— when explaining why The Grandmother wore a particular dress: “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once she was a lady.” (357) A distinction she manifestly, not to mention earnestly, deeply regards. The preparation for such an eventuality isn't what corroborates the point. It is the purposeful choice to don a particular outfit in
Instead of grieving for the death of her family, she tries to talk him out of killing her. She even tries to buy her own life. She seemed to care more for herself than her family. If she cared more for them, she would have offered more for their lives. At the very end of the story it seems the misfit got to know the grandmother very well in those few moments he spent with her. He said, “She would have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.”
Additionally, the grandmother shows superiority in her actions and poor judgment towards others. In the story, the grandmother answer Red Sammy Butts question about why he let those guys fuel their tank without paying by saying he does it because he is a “good man”. Also, when she when she realizes that the Misfit is a threat to her life, she repeatedly tells him that he is a “good man”. This way O’Connor highlights the moral codes that the grandmother built on the characteristics she believes that make people “good”. Although, it seems that the grandmother sees the goodness in people and has an open-hearted
She seems to know little about herself and how she has lived her life. In addition, Granny’s state of denial imposes hardships on those around her. It’s relevant in the story that she was tough on her children. Since she is in so much denial that she’s treated them harshly, they never get the acknowledgement of her wrongdoings towards them. At the same time, however, Granny’s deep-rooted denial is what has enabled her to continue living, thrive, raise healthy children, and even save the lives of sick people and animals.
The line that summarizes the grandmother in the story “ A Good Man is Hard to Find” is “ she would have been a good woman if someone was there to shoot her all her life.”The grandmother is a typical human being. In many aspects she is selfish. She wants her way and is willing to do anything to get it. For example, once she knows that she is unable to convince her grandson to visit the house which she describes in the story, she shifts her attention to the grandchildren.
A strong foreshadowing imagery can be read into these lines. Knowing the definite ending of the story, the grandmother?s elaborate dress symbolizes a preparation for her coffin. When a person dies, they usually are dressed in their best outfit, just like the grandmother was dressed in what seemed to be her Sunday best. A stronger foreshadowing is when O?Connor states the reason for the grandmother?s immaculate dress, "in case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady." She herself predicts her own death. Unfortunately, she doesn?t know this yet. Although this is beyond the parameters of this essay, it is interesting that in the grandmother's mind wearing her best clothes prevent any misgivings about her status as a lady IF she was to die. But as the Misfit later points out, "there never was a body that gave the undertaker a tip." The grandmother's perceived readiness for death is a stark contrast to her behavior when she encounters the Misfit; for she shows herself to be the least prepared for death.
As the story progresses, the theme changes from being comical to being violent. Also, the reader's perception of the grandmother becomes more intense . As O'Connor said, "[t]here is a change of tension from the first part of the story to the second where the Misfit enters, but this is no lessening of reality" ("On" 176). The presence of the Misfit causes the story to become more of a mystery; therefore, the actions of the grandmother also become a mystery because the reader doesn't know what to expect from her. It is a surprise to the reader to find the grandmother become so sincere. The grandmother tries many traditional methods to keep the Misfit from killing
The grandmother is the one in which the action happens against. She also is the character in which we see the most change. She goes through most of the story saying that a good man is hard to find, until she is faced with life and death. Once she understands that her life hangs in the balance her attitude changes. She shows who she really is facing death and realizes what it truly means to have her faith and believe in it.
The Grandmother is depicted as someone that holds high regards for herself by constantly referring to everything she does as being a “lady,” and she doesn’t seem to have any conviction
Your grandmother is always the wisest of the family and provides children with the most knowledge about how to go about life. In the book, her grandmother plays as her conscious throughout the book about staying true to her identity. While trying to fit into Vienna, she realizes how import family is and what values they must stay true to such as being Iranian and never to lose your identity. After months of being treated as an outsider for being different, she actually breaks her character and tries to become someone she is not. Back at home, she doesn’t realize how important her family is to her and what morals they are trying to provide her with to make sure she never forgets who she truly is. The film is able to capture how important of a role her grandmother plays by adding a scene that is not apparent in the book to express how important identity is to the family.
Ten years later, Flannery O'Connor explains her story in "A Reasonable Use of the Unreasonable." In this criticism, O'Connor says that the grandmother in this story has a transformation in her mind at the end which she noticed her mistake and is waiting for grace. I think there is another approach that the grandmother’s gesture does not show any regret; she tries to save her life the entire story. The grandmother has always been selfish during the whole trip and was emotionless on the death of her family.
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
Both incidents are prime examples that show the grandmother?s behavior. We see that the grandmother is selfish and uncaring. She claims that she is a "good" person, yet she criticizes everyone and always wants to get her way. She hides the cat and lies about it to her son; she did not consider how anyone would feel about her bringing the cat. Yet, on the other hand she is very concerned with social opinion. She is dressed nicely, her excuse is that "in case of an accident anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know that she was a lady" (O?Connor 907). This shows that the grandmother was very concerned with people?s opinion. She acted proper, had strong virtues, values; a good woman in her view. But she was a self- centered person who judged others harshly, so that she would look good.