A Good Man is hard to Find
"A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor, tells the metaphorical tale of a family's fatal confrontation with The Misfit, an escaped serial killer. The incidents and characters throughout the story are aspects of a plot intending to symbolize the spiritual grace passed from one human to another, without regard for kindness or evil. Di Renzo says in his book American Gargoyles that many critics have objections to "A good man is hard to find" because of O'Connor's elaborate comic depiction of the grandmother and her family. He goes on to say that because the family is so ludicrous, "so irredeemably gauche and petty," that it would be impossible for the reader to sympathize with them, even when the misfit is massacring them. The prominent character in O'Connor's story is the grandmother, who embodies this grace. By including imperfections in the development of the grandmother's character, O'Connor shows the indiscriminatory property of grace she possesses. The grandmother is the most developed character of the story. She contains several traits that coincide with the stereotypical elderly southern woman. Some of her notions are bizarre and trivial, and ignored by her family, such as the possible attack by The Misfit
Jackson, Shirley "The Lottery." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 2000. Upon meeting The Misfit, communication is almost solely between The Misfit and the grandmother. The grandmother shrieks, "You're The Misfit!...I recognized you at once" to which The Misfit replies, "It would have been better for all you of you, lady, if you hadn't of reckernized me". Without regard for her family, the grandmother thinks first of herself, crying, "You wouldn't shoot a lady, would you?" As she converses with The Misfit, she learns of his decent parents and good up bringing, and can therefore categorize him as "a good man" despite the fact that he has killed innocent people. Throughout the conversation, despite the death of her family, the grandmother discovers The Misfit was arrested for a crime he might not have committed, and begins to interrogate him on his spiritual practices. She asks him if he prays and advises prayer as a method for his salvation.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1054
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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