“A Good Man is Hard to Find”

Discussion Questions

1. Describe the grandmother, Bailey, June Star, John Wesley, the

mother, and The Misfit, identifying at least one quote that illustrates
something revealing about each. Be sure to provide brief
explanations of your selected quotes.

 Why do you think O’Connor depicts the family the way she
does?

2,Try to list at least three specific examples of the way O’Connor

foreshadows what happens at the end of the story (the family
encountering, being murdered by, The Misfit).

3. What does the grandmother mean by a "good man"? She uses

that phrase to describe Red Sammy Butts and The Misfit – why are
they, in her opinion, good (pay attention to the conversations she has
w/Butts and with The Misfit)?

 More generally, what are some of the different things we mean

when we describe people as good?

4. What are some ways The Misfit and the Grandmother are similar
(think about the conversation they have, and your answer to the
previous question).

5. What is the significance of The Misfit's saying, "She would of been

a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every
minute of her life," (133)? This implies that she wasn’t good
throughout her entire life, but then, in the end, found some goodness.
Do you agree with the assessment? Why? Why not?