In "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor the reader is introduced to a character that first appears to be confused about life and religion but later comes across as more knowledgeable about religion and his own existentialist philosophies than the other characters portrayed in the story. This character, named The Misfit, represents the world and its nihilistic tendencies. He is the true reflection of what our world has really turned into and the thoughts and problems that our society faces. In "A Good Man is Hard to Find" the author, Flannery O'Connor uses the antagonist, the Misfit, in order to reveal his views of society through the Misfit's interaction with the protagonist, the grandmother, as well as the questions and problems that all people contemplate but are afraid to actually discuss.

Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" begins with a family preparing to take a trip to Florida. The family is described as a typical modern family, which has all the problems that many such modern families face. They have trouble agreeing with each other and with every generation present within the family,

eir own beliefs and live according to their own religion.

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In The Misfit's eyes seeing as no one today can prove whether this is true or not, the Misfit decides that he does not need to lead his life according to this theory. The Misfit tells the grandmother "If I had been there I would of known and I wouldn't be like I am now" (pg. 338). With his thoughts though he is able to even change the views of the grandmother before she is killed by his own hand. He brings to point many things that common people of the world think about but he is able to go beyond just thinking; he is able to actually solve his own questions by living his standards. Even though his ways are not moral according to today's standards, they seem to give him an inner peace with himself and his thoughts. Even though he seems to be a bad man because of this he really is not as he lives his life existentially-exactly how everyone should live their lives. Perhaps his methods for self-liberation are too drastic, but many people should at least be able to create th!

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Through The Misfit we see just how far ahead of everyone else in his time he is through the grandmother's understanding of religion, or lack there of. The grandmother in this situation is meant to embody the general public. The grandmother, when her life is on the line is not able to divert from the ways of the world and go along with The Misfit. When the grandmother says "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children!" (pg. 338) you truly see her lack of religion. What is worse is that she isn't even able to comprehend the religion that she apparently follows.

temporal nature of material objects, stating that they are always, "Gone with the wind" (pg. 330). This statement later turns out to be like foreshadowing of the future of this family. The ignorance of the family and the historical obsession of the grandmother all com

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Approximate Word count = 1385
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)