ENGLISH TEST 3rd Quarter

The Critic

The author presents his main theme of fate by bringing the reader to a family’s holiday which is
unfortunately brought to a sudden end by a murder (O’Connor 36). The story gives thrill genre as the same as it
gives a lesson that can carve people's emotion. The grandmother argues that the family should go to Tennessee
instead of Florida. Her insistence makes the family to deviate from the right path in an attempt to look for a fake
treasure. The rebelliousness the family exhibits is a sign of moral decadence. The grandmother’s decision makes
the family appear like it admires the Misfit. At the beginning of the story, the author illustrates clearly that the
family was to suffer in the hands of Misfit. O’Connor effectively uses characterization in this story. He uses
symbolism to show how the morals of a society have been destroyed (O’Connor 36).

In the story ”A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, the author features the grandmother as a central character.
Her character is evidently presented in the story as a very pushy persona who dearly loves herself to an extent of
being myopic (O’Connor 36). Similarly, the author paints her as an authoritative and manipulative person. This is
confirmed when she manages to push the family to reschedule its plan. Her mean character is noticeably shown
when she wants to visit the house she used to live in when she was young. Following her conversation with her
son Bailey,the old woman tries to pressure him to change his plan to her advantage. Her character is the same up
till the end of the story. O’Connor extensively uses characterization to bring out lack of respect and poor
discipline in America’s society.

The message in his story can be understood from differences that subsist between the old and young
generations. The grandmother in the story symbolizes the old generation. The author describes how the old lady
clothes herself such that even if a misfortune occurs, any person could easily recognize that she was a female
because of her dressing. In the past, there were good morals. The children could respect the elder people and
everybody in the society would reinforce such behavior all the time. However, the grand children are immoral
and undisciplined. The author through his employing of characterization elements shows that Misfit is a product
of crumbled values and culture devoid of demeanor. However, Misfit seems to be respectful in a way especially
when he uses polite words like ‘Ma’am’.

Similarly, O’Connor uses symbolism in the story to show bereavement and faith. The author says that the
family deviates from the good road to follow a dreadful one where they end up getting killed. This symbolizes
how people move away from the kingdom of God to go to down the evil paths. The town’s name called
“Toombsboro” is used by the author to symbolize death. The old woman hopes that she would find a plantation
in Toombsboro town. It isn't this town still that the old lady is sidetracked. This symbolizes that her faith in Jesus
is getting low. In the story, the author writes that June and John tries to guess what the sky’s color is the clouds in
are used by the author to present the faith of the old lady. At the end of the story, we are told that there are no
clouds anymore and the sky has nothing. The author is trying to show that the old woman’s faith at that stage is
already depleted. The author uses a grave yard to symbolize death. Furthermore, in his quote “big black battered
hearse like automobile” is applied to show that death is the final destination.

The author strongly backs up his theme by titling the story “A Good man is hard to find”. He uses
personalities like Misfit to support it. This propping up is evidenced by the use the grandchildren and Jesus. In the
story, the old woman says that she could go with her children anywhere and could give answer to her
consciousness if possible. Finally, this lady comes into a situation where she tries to give answers to her
conscience by frustratingly assuming that Misfit is not a bad person. Misfit on the other hand insists that indeed
he is a bad person. Misfit compares himself to Jesus where he says that Jesus suffered for other people’s sins just
the same way he got punished for mistakes he never did. The theme that “a good man is hard to find”
undoubtedly refers to Jesus. This is because Misfit tries to compare himself to Jesus but he finally commits a
murder. The old woman’s shaky faith in Jesus is over. By Jesus not delivering her shows that indeed “a good man
is hard to find.”

The author ultimately does well to bring to the reader’s attention how the world is changing from being
a good to a bad place . By use of characterization and symbolism he clearly shows the various voices in the
society which are making the world a bad place. The author also uses the theme of the story “a good man is hard
to find” to show that if people would accept Jesus in their lives then the world could be a good place just like in
the past. This is because people would acquire good morals, be respectful and also practice discipline in
everything they do.

The short story

As “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” opens, a family prepares to embark on a trip together. The family
consists of Bailey, his wife, their three children—John Wesley, June Star, and a baby—and a grandmother. Most
of the family, including Bailey and his wife, want to go to Florida. The grandmother, who is Bailey’s mother and
the protagonist of the story, wants them to travel to Tennessee instead so that she can visit her “connections”
there. In an attempt to persuade them to change their plans, she reminds them that a dangerous criminal called
"The Misfit" has just escaped from the Federal Penitentiary and is likely headed to Florida as well. This fails to
garner any concern from the family, and they all prepare to leave for Florida the next morning.

In preparing for departure, the grandmother takes special care with her appearance so that her clothing
reflects her status as a proper “lady.” She wears a navy blue sailor hat, a matching navy blue dress with organdy
trimming, and a spray of violets pinned to her neckline. She also hides her cat, Pitty Sing, in a basket to travel
with her. Sitting between her grandchildren, John Wesley and June Star, the grandmother points out interesting
scenery along the drive. As the car passes a Black child standing in the door of a shack, the grandmother finds the
scene particularly endearing, yelling that he is a “cute little pickaninny” and confidently informing her
grandchildren that he doesn’t have “things like we do."

After traveling and telling stories for some time, the family decides to stop for dinner at The Tower,
which serves barbecue and acts as a filling station as well as a local dance hall. After ordering, the family is
greeted by Red Sammy, the owner, who comes in from performing some mechanical work on a truck outside. He
commiserates with the grandmother’s feelings that society has fallen to shambles. When he mentions that it’s
hard to know who to trust, the grandmother once again mentions the Misfit. “A good man is hard to find,” Red
Sammy concludes, and as the children play outside, he and the grandmother continue to chat about the better
days of the past.

Back in the car, the grandmother naps periodically as the family continues their journey. When she
awakens, she looks out the window and believes that she is in a neighborhood that she visited in the past. She
shares her recollections of an old plantation with a secret panel in the house. This proves to be a compelling
mystery for the children, who beg their father to take a detour to visit the old house. Bailey tries to refuse the
side trip but eventually concedes after the children begin kicking his seat and loudly whining.

The grandmother directs Bailey to what she believes is the correct road, and they travel for some time as
the grandmother recalls a time when all roads were dirt and it took all day to travel thirty miles. Suddenly, the
grandmother realizes that her memory has failed her. This is not the neighborhood from her past; the place she
visited was in Tennessee. Startled by this embarrassing realization, she jumps, which upsets the cat she’d hidden
away. Pitty Sing emerges from the basket with a snarl and leaps onto Bailey’s shoulder. This shock causes Bailey
to flip the car, ejecting his wife and their baby.

When everything settles, the family is surprisingly intact. The children are excited by the accident but
disappointed that no one has been killed, and the grandmother is convinced that she has possibly injured an
organ. A few moments later, the grandmother sees a car in the distance and desperately waves her arms to
attract its attention. Slowly, the car approaches the family.

Three men are in the car. When the driver gets out, the grandmother has a feeling that she’s seen him
somewhere before. As the kids begin rudely pelting the man with questions, the grandmother suddenly exclaims,
“You’re The Misfit!” Bailey icily scolds his mother for her foolish comment, and she asks the Misfit if he’s going to
shoot her. Avoiding a direct answer, the Misfit replies that he would hate to have to do so.

The grandmother begins a desperate attempt to beg for her life. First, she tries to flatter the Misfit,
saying that she can tell he’s a “good man” who comes from “nice people.” The Misfit agrees with her and
instructs Bobby Lee and Hiram, his traveling companions, to take Bailey and John Wesley into the woods. As her
son and grandson disappear with these strangers, the grandmother again pleads for her own life, desperately
telling the Misfit that he’s good and “not a bit common.” This time, he disagrees, saying, “Nome, I ain’t a good
man . . . but I ain’t the worst in the world neither.”

The grandmother then changes the subject to religion, asking if the Misfit ever prays. There is a loud
pistol shot from the woods, followed quickly by a second. She begs the Misfit to pray, telling him that Jesus can
help him. The Misfit agrees with this statement but tells her that he doesn’t want any help because he’s doing
just fine by himself. He reveals that he can’t remember the crime for which he was imprisoned but relates that he
was told by a “head-doctor” that he killed his father. Bobby Lee and Hiram, the Misfit’s accomplices, return from
the woods and are now instructed to take Bailey’s wife, June Star, and the baby into the woods to join Bailey.
After they all leave, the grandmother again urges the Misfit to turn to Jesus for help. Three more pistol shots ring
out through the woods, and the grandmother urgently begs for her own life, telling the Misfit that he has “good
blood.” The Misfit returns to their conversation about Jesus, reasoning that Jesus threw everything “off balance”
when he “raised the dead.” He explains that he personally enjoys a life of cruelty: “No pleasure but meanness.”

Dazed and unsure how to respond, the grandmother comments that maybe Jesus didn’t raise the dead
after all. The Misfit replies that he wasn’t there and can’t know with certainty either way, though he deeply
wishes he could have seen it. Seeming almost as if he’s about to cry, the Misfit says, “if I had of been there I
would of known and I wouldn’t be like I am now.” At this point, the grandmother’s head clears for a moment and
she truly sees the Misfit for the first time. She looks into his face and shares her sudden realization, telling him
that he’s “one of [her] own children” as she touches his shoulder.

Recoiling from her touch, the Misfit abruptly shoots the grandmother three times through the chest.
After instructing his accomplices to throw her body in the woods with the rest of her family, he remarks that the
grandmother would have been a good woman if there had been someone nearby to shoot her during every
moment of her life. The Misfit concludes that there is actually no pleasure in life at all, amending his previous
statement.