“A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor Essay

A in effect(p) composition Is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor is ab let on a family from Georgia who are murdered on a road trip to Florida. It begins with the grannie complaining to her son Bailey that she would rather go to Tennessee for va guy ropeion and non Florida. She tells him round an escaped murderer who is sack to Florida named the Misfit in hopes to change his mind. The day of the trip the gran is dressed in her best and prepared to crush as a lady if something should happen to them on the way. They stop at a barbecue eatery for lunch, where the Grandm different talks with the makeer Red Sammy about the Misfit and how hard it is to find a acceptable homo. natural c whole overing in the car the nan talks about a house she saw when she was young, lying apothegm that the house has secret passages which makes the children want to see it more. They begin to jump and kick the back of the seat in front of them until the father agrees. When they reduce on an old aband wizardd road the naan realizes that the house is in Tennessee. The grandmother gets flustered and scares her cat which jumped up on Baily, cau transgressg him lose control of the car and it jerk and land in a ditch. The adults are in shock and the kids are excited as if the cam stroke was an adventure to them.As the family sit and wait for help a car comes and three men flavor out. One the grandmother recognizes at the Misfit. The Misfit tells them he wished she hadnt recognized him implying that he would not save killed them if she did not. get-go with the father and son the other two guys takes only of the family except the grandmother into the woods and kills them. The grandmother pleads for her animateness as she hears the gunshots and tries to convince the Misfit that he is a good man, and for him to pray. The Misfit goes into a rant recounting the grandmother all about him his past and that he was convicted for a crime he did not commit. After all of her family is killed the grandmother is sitting there her head becomes clear and she says Why youre virtuoso of my babies. Youre one of my own children andshe moved(p) him. He shoots her three times in the chest and state She would have been a good woman, if it has been soul there to shoot her e really minute of her life. In this analysis I go away be comparing distinctions from the grandmother and the Misfit to find out who has more morals.Is it the grandmother or the Misfit? The first trait of both Characters is the use of religion. The Grandmother cries out for Jesus telling the Misfit Youve got good blood I shaft you wouldnt shoot a lady I know you come from nice people commune Jesus, you ought not shoot a lady She tells him he is a good man over and over again hoping it might convince him that in fact he is a good man and wint kill her. The Misfit has more of a religious background than the grandmother. He was called a prophet at peace(p) defame. He was formerly a gospel singer. He compares himself with Jesus when he said Jesus thrown and twisted everything off balance. It was the comparable case with him except He hadnt committed any crime and they could turn off I had committed one because they had the papers on me. He told the grandmother Jesus was the only one that ever raised the dead, and he shouldnt have done it. He thrown everything off balance. If he did what he said, then its nothing for you to do average now thow away everything and follow him, and if he didnt then its nothing for you to do but enjoy the a few(prenominal) minutes you got left the best you can- by putting to death somebody or burning down his house or doing some other meaness to him. No Pleasure in meanness.The second trait of both Characters is morals. The grandmother considers herself morally superior to others by righteousness of her being a lady, and she freely and frequently passes judgment on others. She claims that her scruples is a control force in her life, suc h as when she tells Bailey that her conscience wouldnt allow her to take the children in the same direction as the Misfit. She criticizes the childrens mother for not traveling to a place that would allow the children to be broad, and she compares the mothers face to a cabbage. She rebukes John Wesley for not having more respect for Georgia, his home state. She as well as takes any opportunity to judge the lack of goodness in people in the world today.During all this, she proudly wears her carefully selected dress and hat, certain that being a lady is the most important virtue of all, one that she alone harbors. The grandmother never turns her critical eye on herself to inspect her own hypocrisy, dishonesty, and selfishness. For example, the conscience the grandmother invokes at the beginning of the twaddle is conveniently silent when she sneaks Pitty Sing into the car, lies to the children about the secret panel, and opts not to reveal that she make a mistake about the location of the house.When the Misfit murders the family, the grandmother never once begs him to superfluous her children or grandchildren. She does, however, plead for her own life because she cant imagine the Misfit wanting to kill a lady. She seems certain that hell recognize and respect her moral code, as though it will mean something to him patronage his criminal ways. She tries to draw him into her world by assuring him that hes a good man, but even though he agrees with her assessment of him, he doesnt see this as a close to spare her. Only when the grandmother is facing death, in her final moments alone with the Misfit, does she understand where she has gone wrong in her life. Instead of being superior, she realizes, she is flawed desire everyone else. When she tells the Misfit that he is one of her own children, she is showing that she has put up the ability to see others with compassion and understanding. This is a moment of realization, one that is immediately followed by her de ath.The Misfit seems an unlikely witness to look to for spiritual or moral guidance, but he demonstrates a deep conviction that the other characters lack. Unlike the grandmother, who precisely assumes that she is morally superior to everyone else, the Misfit seriously questions the meaning of life and his role in it. He has carefully considered his actions in life and examined his experiences to find lessons within them. He has even renamed himself because of one of these lessons, believing that his penalisation didnt fit his crime. Because the Misfit has questioned himself and his life so closely, he reveals a self-awareness that the grandmother lacks. He knows he isnt a great man, but he also knows that there are others worse than him. The Misfits philosophies whitethorn be depraved, but they are consistent. Unlike the grandmother, whose moral code falls apart the moment its challenged, the Misfit has a steady view of life and acts according to what he believes is right.His do ctrines and actions are not moral in the conventional sense, but they are strong and consistent and therefore consume him strength of conviction that the grandmother lacks. Twisted as it might be, he can rely on his moral code to endure his actions. The grandmother cannot, and in the last moments of her life, she recognizes his strength and her weaknesses. OConnor called the Misfit a prophet gone wrong, and indeed, if he had utilize his moralintegrity to a less depraved lifestyle, he could have been considered a true preacher, pillar, or teacher. The third and final trait of both Characters is realization. Both the grandmother and the Misfit had a sudden realization.The grandmother realize that the Misfit was just a human just like her she said Why youre one of my babies. Youre one of my own children. The Misfit realized that killing gave him no pleasure he said, said She would have been a good woman, if it has been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life. In Conclu sion it appears that in fact the murderer (prophet gone wrong) has more moral than the grandmother, and that his faith in Jesus is stronger.A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor try*Re- call for the Story A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor , following the Re-Reading Fiction Suggestions above. Answer the following questions atomic number 18 there any details that were newly recognized during this articulateing or that you notice tie in with sooner ones? I gained a better visual of the car the family was riding in while re-reading the story. I didnt understand they were in a car, I had visualized the family riding in a station wagon. I also became aware of the fact that at the end of the story The Misfit picks up the cat after it had been thrown from the car and the grandmother had been killed.If evident, what significance does the surname hold, and in what possible ways is it lined to the actions and the characters? The reference of a good man was seen throug hout the correct story. I believe in comparison there is symbolization between the idea of a good man like Red Sammy versus a character like The Misfit is a direct representation of Good and Evil.Are there any row that are unfamiliar, and how does knowledgeable what they mean make a difference in re-reading the story? Valise (suitcase), Sachet (purse), Ambling (saunter to walk leisurely). Knowing the definition of these terms allowed me to better understand the appearance of the grandmother and the setting inside of the car.What is striking about the first destine and the first paragraph of the story? Also, what is striking about the last paragraph and the last sentence of the story? The first sentence was allows the reader to know what the grandmothers tone was. The first paragraph introduced the grandmother & her son. I was not very certain of the meaning of the last sentence but I took it as The Misfit saying that killing is not enjoyable. I found that as a contradiction to what he said about the bible saying there is only being good or being evil.Are there any details/parts of the story that do not seem needed or appear insignificant? What do you commend might be the purpose for these insignificant parts? I did not understand the necessity in the grandmother wanting to keep track of the car mileage. It made no sense to me at all and wouldnt have affected how I read or re-read the story.*Listen to the Audio Recording Flannery OConnor Reads A Good Man is Hard to Find (1959). Then, purpose the following questionsHow does knowing more about Flannery O Conners life and work, particularly her earlier chaste endeavors from the NPR Portrait, inform your reading of the story? From reading about her life it seemed like Flannery OConner always apply cynical humor in her cartoons and stories. She seemed to be an emotionally dark person. Knowing this before I read the story might have helped me lower my expectations for a happy ending.How did you find the exp erience of perceiveing to Flannery OConner reading her story aloud to a live audience? Did you expect the audience to react when and as they did, and did you share their reaction as you followed along? Did you gain any new insights about the story, and any of its elements or details, from listening to the OConners oral presentation of it in the recording?I felt that by listening to Flannery OConner read this story aloud I was able to become more emotionally attached to this story. The humor was very evident in the reading but did not bring out a verbal response from me. I did find myself laughing aloud once or doubly when I was listening to the reading. I found the one detail that I had not noticed in the previous reading was that The Misfit kept the cat at the end of the story.p. 430 AnswersHow early in the story does OConner foreshadow what will happen in the end?I believe the first instance of adumbrative of crossing paths was presented in multiple paragraphs. However the firs t instance was presented in the first paragraph.What further hints does she give us along the way?It mentions The Misfit and that he was headed to Florida. In the 5th and 6th paragraphs as well, foreshadowing is touched on when John Wesley was asked what he would do if caught by The Misfit.There are also instances that hint about the family getting into an accident. In paragraph 10 the author wrote that the grandmother dressed as a lady in case they were in an accident so that others would know she was a lady (which in righteousness became fact because The Misfit noted her as a lady because of her clothing).I believe that death was pointed out in the 8th paragraph in a more symbolic. The grandmother feared the death of the cat and it was because of the cat that the built-in family (with exception of the cat) wound up dying in the end.How does the scene at Red Sammys BBQ go up the story toward its conclusion?Personally I dont think it does at all. I obtain like it was unnecessary .When we first meet the grandmother, what kind of person is she?From my reading I came to the conclusion the grandmother was very selfish.What do her various remarks reveal about her?It seems like she always spoke up when she wanted to get her own way.Does she remain a static character, or does she change in any way as the story goes on?I think she remains a static character throughout the entire story. She starts out as a selfish character that is out to get what she wants and in the end (although for a moment you see her as a pained parent) she still is saying whatever she can to go on herself.When the grandmothers head clears for an instant, what does she suddenly understand? She understands that she has made a huge mistake. The plantation she had been talking about was in a completely different state and instead of speaking up and telling her son she kept the thought to herself because she didnt want to be held responsible for her mistake.What do we learn from the discourse be tween The Misfit and the grandmother while the others go out to the woods? You learn about The Misfits family history, his belief in Jesus and you learn that The Misfit believe that no matter the bad deed you eventually barricade about what you did.How would you describe The Misfits outlook on the world?He has a very ghastly and white view. In the story The Misfit says, If He did what He said, then its nothing for you to do but thow away everything and follow Him, and if He didnt, then its nothing for you to do but enjoy the few minutes you got left the best meanness to him. No pleasure but meanness. I read that as his belief that by the Bible you either did exactly what it said to do or you acted as an Anarchist.Compare it with the authors, from whatever you know about Flannery OConnor and the story itself. I believe Flannery OConnor may have had a darker view on life but not one as evil as the Misfit.How would you respond to a reader who complained, The title of the story is ju st an obvious banality ?I would say that that conclusion could only be reached after reading the story. When you look at the title there are too many routes that the story could have taken to make it an obvious statement about the contents of the story.A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor EssayThe title A Good Man Is Hard to Find gives you the impression that someone is looking for a partner. When in reality, the title is actually explaining the moral of the story. Every character has their bad points, even the seemingly bare children. From the Misfits, to the entire family, everyone was disrespectful and just plain rude. In some families it would be considered a mortal sin to be rude to sr.s. Unfortunately this family seems to get a kick out of being cruel to their execrable grandmother. The Misfits are a different story entirely, because they know nothing better than cruelty. The Grandmother wasnt perfective tense herself, but she did have it a little rough.Starting things off the Grandmother was the most mistreated elder I have ever seen. Even despite the fact most of the stuff that came out of her spill the beans was false or an elaboration. She was an un-trusted old lady whose family couldnt wait to get rid of her. Someone whose words were constantly falling on deaf ears would get dramatic for attention, which is precisely what Grandmother did. This woman would thin stories for her own benefit, which led to the familys untimely death. Constantly fighting for her way, she felt it necessary to hide the cat in a basket.This also explains lying about the secret panel, which was enough to amuse the children. If she didnt have clever ways to get her thoughts across, she would be completely ignored. The parents have been setting the wrong example for their children by disrespecting Grandmother. When the car flipped the Grandmother feared her sons hostility. She was immediately guilt ridden and made herself look as under attack(predicate) as pos sible. Her family had every right to be upset with her and she knew it.The family, used to hearing her ridiculous stories and demands, has grown habituate to ignoring her. They make it obvious that shes not wanted in the family. Even the children are rude and disrespectful, apparently following the example of their parents. Her son glares at her for making pleasant conversation, and his wife doesnt allow her to listen to the music she chooses. Her own granddaughter was filled with contempt when she found outthat Grandmother had indeed survived the car wreck. So fits the title that A Good Man Is Hard to Find, you cant find one in this story. Now with the entire family burning holes on poor Grandmother with their eyes, you dont think it could get any worse for her.Here arrive the Misfits. This appears to be a homely bunch of rejects or rebels, knowing nothing more than raising hell. They ride up carrying their guns, making the family realize their predicament just got a whole lot wo rse. The Grandmother recognizes them at once and begins to beg for mercy. All the while, theyre killing her unloving family off one by one. The old lady is persistent and continues encouraging the Misfit to pray, and become a good man. They converse for a while, and he begins to explain why hes up to no good.He opens up to her, and she realizes he just doesnt know any better. Grandmother is obviously agitated but she keeps at him. There is finally a glimmer of hope in the mans face, he apparently wishes for a better life. When Grandmother reaches out to comfort him, to pull that good man out of him, BAM He retaliates to her kindness with a wave of bullets.She would have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life. This man only knows how to kill kindness. He is simply stating what would have given them pleasure. The very next thing he says Its no real pleasure in life. This statement proves that he learned something from that old woman. He realizes what theyve been killing all along. So her death wasnt meaningless she finally got her point across to someone, someone finally listened to what she had to say, and was actually affected by it. So she died a happy woman, with a nice smile on her face, killed by her own kindness.