Response to the short story 'A Good Man is Hard to Find' by Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964)

Essay by JBobCollege, Undergraduate December 2002

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A Good Man Is Hard To Find

The title 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find' gives you the impression that someone is looking for a partner. When in reality, the title is actually explaining the moral of the story. Every character has their bad points, even the seemingly innocent children. From the Misfits, to the entire family, everyone was disrespectful and just plain rude. In some families it would be considered a mortal sin to be rude to elders. Unfortunately this family seems to get a kick out of being cruel to their poor grandmother. The Misfits are a different story entirely, because they know nothing better than cruelty. The Grandmother wasn't perfect herself, but she did have it a little rough.

Starting things off the Grandmother was the most mistreated elder I have ever seen. Even despite the fact most of the stuff that came out of her mouth was false or an elaboration.

She was an un-trusted old lady whose family couldn't wait to get rid of her. Someone whose words were constantly falling on deaf ears would get dramatic for attention, which is precisely what Grandmother did. This woman would stretch stories for her own benefit, which led to the family's untimely death. Constantly fighting for her way, she felt it necessary to hide the cat in a basket. This also explains lying about the secret panel, which was enough to amuse the children. If she didn't have clever ways to get her thoughts across, she would be completely ignored. The parents have been setting the wrong example for their children by disrespecting Grandmother. When the car flipped the Grandmother feared her son's hostility. She was immediately guilt ridden and made herself look as vulnerable as possible. Her family had every right to be...