"A Good Man Is Hard To Find" by Flannery O'Connor

Essay by tuyetkatieCollege, UndergraduateA+, September 2006

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In the beginning of "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" O'Connor describes the behavior of the Grandmother somewhat childlike. Personally, I hate her character in the beginning. She wants to get her way, and tries every possible ways to manipulate her son to satisfy her desire. I blame her selfish and lack of conscience when she blurts out "You're The Misfit! I recognized you at once!" (O'Connor 560) If she has just keep her mouth shut her family will not be in jeopardy, and they may escape the death. Once again, the Grandmother tries to manipulate The Misfit, so he will not kill her, but she fails. She starts out manipulating The Misfit, but at the end she seems to understand him, and wants to find a good trace in that evil man, and guide him back to goodness. However, she fails to guide him back to goodness.

Similar to O'Connor I agree that the change of gesture in the Grandmother "makes a story work." The gesture of the Grandmother at the end is out of her character. This is forgiveness, self forgiveness and forgiveness for the other. She sees him as a human being now, not just the Misfit. She takes the role as redeemer at the end of the story. She acts as Jesus when she reaches out to the Misfit and murmurs "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children!" (O'Connor 565) I believe under the eyes of God, everyone is his children, and since there the Grandmother takes the role of a mother, being mature and quite the opposite from the beginning, and also look out for the Misfit. She looks out to him since he doesn't have the good protection. She in the end has...