A Good Man is Hard to Find

Essay by falconlover_mofo September 2014

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A Good Man is Hard to Find

In Flannery O'Conner's "A Good Man is Hard to Find", the Misfit; a criminal; is about to shoot the grandmother. But before doing so, it was stated "She would of been a good woman," The Misfit said, "if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life." The grandmother had the potential to be a good woman. Only in her last moments as she kneeled before the face of death was she a righteous woman; only when a gun is pointed at her she is a good woman. So in order for her to be good, she must be at the verge of death.

Throughout the story, the main character's name never came up; she was referred to as "the grandmother". She was a self-absorbed lady, a manipulator even. She would always try to make things go her way.

She didn't want to go to Florida so she tried to deceive Bailey, saying that the Misfit was loose. And when that didn't work, she tried to persuade him into bringing them to east Tennessee so that the children could "be broad". She also lied about a secret panel in an old house she wanted to see so that the kids would annoy Bailey into driving them there. She would craftily convince others into doing something she wants. And despite Bailey not wanting her to bring the cat, she sneaks it into a basket underneath a big black valise. The Misfit, although supposedly being a bad man, is actually one of the only characters who has rather deep beliefs. Unlike the grandmother, he seems to be aware of his mistakes and know what he wants. Although the Misfit is a corrupted being, he absolutely...