A Good Man is Hard to Find

A good man is hard to find is a short story written by Flannery O’ Connor who was an
American writer whose writings always include humor into a sad or traumatic situation. In her
numerous works it revealed her conscious craftsmanship and also the devoted role that Roman
Catholicism plays in her life. The story started with the family who has a trip to Florida but
because to the article about the escaped convict known as the Misfit, they decided to go to
Tennessee and the rest of the story talks about their experiences on their way. The story focuses
about being good or evil and the salvation for the one who accepted God.
Flannery O'Connor shows that as long as you truly seek forgiveness and are genuinely
open to receiving the goodness of Christ believe that Christ forgives people despite of your sins.
In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” the Misfit is said to portray a Christ-like figure.
However, through my perspective the inversions of divine characteristics, his repulsion of
Christ’s very existence, and the denial of any powers beyond the observable realm, we can find
that the Misfit is actually representative of the Anti-Christ. The Misfit thought that one might as
well do bad, if one is going to be punished whether one does bad or not. He has been not treated
well and criticized, his life ruined, probably by elitist individuals like herself, and she tried to
convince him by making it seem as though they have some values in common.
I think that Flannery O'Connor points out the weaknesses to this position in respect to
how the grandmother were preoccupied with keeping up appearances and this was no better
revealed at the end of the novel when the Misfit says "She would've been a good woman if she
had someone want to shoot her everyday of her life". Suggesting that she was only acting civil
and outwardly friendly because she feared for her life and said whatever was necessary in order
to stay alive.
The author cleverly uses irony to illustrate other weaknesses of the Christian argument
regarding salvation in the afterlife. Since the Grandmother was killed by the Misfit she would be
awarded her entrance into heaven according to Christians. Therefore, O'Connor used the Misfit
as the Grandmothers savior to parody Christian dogmas inherent weakness of being accountable
for our sins because he allowed the grandmother to enter into heaven by killing her. That was the
reason why she had referred to him as "her son" on more than one occasion.
As the grandmother talks to the Misfit about his life she begins to transform. She goes
from begging for her life to a moment of redemption by making the misfit realize that he is a
good man. The Misfit notes "Jesus was the only One that ever raised the dead and He shouldn't
have done it." The grandmother said that maybe he didn't raise the dead. Then the story notes
that she crumpled to the ground. Defeated and weary she sinks to the ground and is quiet for the
first time in the story. It is at that moment that her transformation happens. She takes pity on the
Misfit and reaches out to him noting that he's one of her own children.
The main point of the story “A good man is hard to find” is the revelation of the theme,
the redemption and salvation as how people find salvation and redemption in the most unlikely
of places and how these places aren't always good ones either as in this story. Unfortunately, the
grandmother's revelation comes too late to save her own life, although one could argue that at
least she had a revelation
In the end, the grandmother and the whole family died in the hands of the misfit and the
other convict but in my opinion the misfit isn’t that bad because he is just imprisoned on the
crime that he didn’t commit but due to that accident he became like that. He makes himself as
bad as what people see in him. The misfit didn’t even seek to Gods forgiveness in all of his sins
and he choses to become what other people sees in him. At the end of the story he became even
worst as what he was before. For me the misfit deserves to change his situation and life but he
choses not to take that chance.
I really enjoy reading this story but it was a little difficult to get into. I felt it was a
different approach to mainly describe the grandmother’s actions instead of the parents.
Whenever the children did something that wasn’t nice or respectful, she would be the one to tell
them to stop or ask them how they felt about what they just did. For me the grandmother is the
one should blame to all the things happened to her family because the grandmother seems to be
selfish and tries to satisfy her selfishness by manipulating people.
Sacrifice is a part of much religious doctrine and very much a part of this story. The
sacrifice of the grandmother and her reaching out signals forgiveness for the Misfit, even as she
knows what he is about to do to her. The violence gives way to peace as the grandmother lays
there, looking childlike with a smile on her face.

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Charlotte Gwyn M. Arteza
August 7, 2018

A REACTION PAPER ON
A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND

An American novelist, Mary Flannery O'Connor wrote the story of "A Good Man Is Hard
To Find". She was born on the 25th day of March 1925 in Georgia. She likes to write essays,
novels, and short stories about Catholicism, mortality and grace. Some of her works are 'Wise
Blood', 'The Violent Bear It Away' and her famous 'A Good Man Is Hard To Find'. This story
inspire many people which focuses on the good and bad things people made. It highlights the
importance of living your life because the things and decisions we made today affects every
single thing in our lives.
The Grandmother's concept of mortality has something to do whether someone or no one
agreed with the goodness she really wanted to share with me others.
In the story, the Grandmother made every scenes very interesting. It all started as there
family prepares for a trip on Florida, but Grandma wanted to went on a vacation in East
Tennessee. She wanted to visit some of her friends in there. Also, to divert the attention of her
family from going to Florida to escape from The Misfit who just escape from the prison, but
Bailey his son, immediately disagree with what she wanted.
The next morning, Grandmother was the first one to get in the car with her big basket with
her cat hiding inside it. On their way to Florida, she keeps telling her grandchildren, John Wesley
and June Star about her memories in the place when she was still young. Then the afternoon
came and they eat at The Tower. They all eat barbeque in theth. While Grandma was eating she
discusses things with Red Sammy like the people which aren't as good as before. I also have
nothing to say about that because it was really true that people changes in a bad way.
After they eat they continue to tackle the roads of Florida. Grandma also proceeded and tell
the children some stories until she told them about an old house on the other road which made
the kids excited to get in there. They convince their dad to change their track but Grandma
suddenly remembers that the house she's saying is in Tennessee and not in Georgia. At that
moment, her cat Pitty Sing suddenly went off the basket and attacked Bailey's neck who was
currently driving their car.
The next thing that happened was really shocking, their car bumped into a ditch. The six of
them were all hurt as they call and shout for help. Later on, they saw a car slowly coming to their
direction. Two men came out then Grandma recognize the driver of the car, The Misfit. Her
family was murdered in the woods while The Misfit talks with her about his religious doubts. In
a moment of Christian sympathy, the grandmother informed the Misfit that he is one of her
children. He then shoots her in the chest three times and says if “it had been somebody there to
shoot her every minute of her life” she would have been a good woman. Grandma was left in
death smiling up at God’s sky.
This story was really heart-melting, as the main character in the story, who is identified as
the grandmother, convince herself and thought about her family, that she is a good judge of
human nature. Her character was really good as she thinks of the safety of her family before
making a decision. Grandma also believes that in the end, a man without consideration will
somehow manage to let the light enter him, as she believes that there is still a good man in this
world.
On the other hand, The Misfit just don't have a strong Christian conviction. I felt bad about
him because he doesn't do any bad when he was young but his been punished. This was truly
hurtful but being a victim doesn't mean you also have to have a victim too. Hurting and abusing
someone don't do any good at all it only makes you a worse person.
O'Connor only wanted all of us to realize the values and the direction we are taking
specially the youths. The story let the readers know how to appreciate what was around us. In
addition, we must accept our faith in God and help the people in the same situation just like The
Misfit who don't have a strong conviction.
Allyssa Jane A. Reballos
August 07, 2018

A Good Man is Hard to Find

Flannery O'Connor was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. Her first
collection of short stories entitled "A Good Man is Hard to Find", was one of her most compiled
stories. At first, your impression when you saw the title, means someone are looking for a
partner in her life. Where in fact, the title explained itself the moral of the story. The story's
theme is all about the sin of pride distorting people's true identity. The main character in the said
story who only recognize being a grandmother, has a self-confidence and assumes that she is a
good judge at human nature. Every characters in the story has a bad side even the seemingly
innocent children who don't have respect to their grandmother. The story started with the family
of grandmother, having an idea of vacation together with her son Bailey and his wife, also John
Wesley and June Star, her grandsons. The grandmother's conception of morality has a great deal
to do with whether no one agrees with than her actual goodness.
The story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, revealed as a family having a vacation in
Florida. The story focuses immediately on the grandmother, who wants to visit relatives in east
Tennessee and who uses the escape of the Misfit, a murderer, from prison to try to persuade her
son, Bailey, to change his mind. He refuses. The two grandchildren, John Wesley and June Star,
are quickly characterized for being disrespectful and didn't understand their grandmother and her
consideration. When the family sets out, the grandmother thinks to make the best of things. She
is first to go to the car and, secretly brought along her cat. As she rides along, her conversation is
very common, too interesting to herself and not knowing the feelings of other people around her
and not that in a serious or important thing.
When the grandmother's family stops to eat, she and Red Sammy bond over their
conversation that these days they don't know who they trust are and that people are certainly not
acceptable like they used to be. Although Red Sammy is dirty, keeps a monkey chained to a
tree, and treats his wife poorly, the grandmother feels a connection with him. He is not a good
man, even though the grandmother says he is; it is simply that his superiority and hers are alike.
The grandmother talks about the better times when people did right even though she lies
freely to her son and his family in order to get what she wants. She is embarrassed by the sassy
behavior of her grandchildren, but she uses the n-word and consider the Old South and plantation
life as though it were a better time. She is not a good woman; her values are old-fashioned at
best, racist and elitist at worst. She is precisely the kind of person responsible for the Misfit's
terrible fate.
Because of that, when the family had an accident and the Misfit and his friends stop, the
grandmother's behavior toward him actually has the opposite effect than the one she hopes it will
because his values do not match hers. She tried to convince the Misfit that she knew he's a good
man in order to save their lives. She also empathize that he is belong and common to the group
or in the society. Nevertheless, he said to her that he isn't a good man, that he went to prison for
killing his father, a crime he didn't actually commit. He eventually realized that it doesn't matter
what crime one commits. Sooner or later you're going to forget what it was you done and just be
punished for it. As a result, the Misfit thought that one might as well do bad, if one is going to
be punished whether one does bad or not. He also said that no contentment but having something
in your mind as a purpose or goal. The Misfit felt that there's no connection between the
grandmother's good and moral quality and his own. He has been not treated well and criticized,
his life ruined, probably by elitist individuals like herself, and she tried to convince him by
making it seem as though they have some values in common.
In the end, he recognizes what she never could, that she was not a good woman, at least,
not until the very end of her life when she tried to reach out to him in a legitimate and loving
way. He said that she would have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her
every minute of her life. In other words, it was only the threat of death that compelled her to see
the real connection between the Misfit and herself, the connection between two human beings—
not a connection between social equals because, ultimately, one's social status isn't a factor in
calculating one's goodness.
Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find, presents the overall theme of death all
throughout her story. She also writes in this story, to let the readers know to appreciate what is
around us. The author made a lot of references to heaven and hell. O’Connor writes, “The trees
were full of silver-white sunlight and the meanest of them sparkled”. She was referring heaven in
this statement. The clouds which are white and big beautiful place, everyone living in this world
considered it as Heaven.