Flannery O Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find

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What Makes a Man Good?: An Analysis of “A Good Man is Hard to Find” In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” a ordinary family takes a roadtrip from their home state, Georgia, to Florida. The Grandmother irritates the rest of the family with her incessant complaining and nostalgic reminiscing. She reminds the family of the runaway killer, The Misfit, in an attempt to disrupt their plan of going to Florida, because she would rather visit Tennessee to see some contacts. In an attempt to experience another piece of her past, she causes the car to flip into a roadside ditch. In an unfortunate turn of events, the group that comes to check on them turns out to be The Misfit and his accomplices. The Grandmother tries to talk her way out …show more content…
She holds traditional values in very high esteem, constantly bringing forth her nostalgic thoughts on the good, old days. When she does not want to visit Florida, she tries to throw off the trip by mentioning the runaway criminal, The Misfit. She gives the reasoning that she “wouldn't take [her] children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. [she] couldn't answer to [her] conscience if [she] did.” (O’Connor 137). But she concedes her argument when told that she could just stay home. Appropriately, they head south the next morning. While driving through Georgia, the son, John Wesley, says “Let's go through Georgia fast so we won't have to look at it much,” to which The Grandmother replies “If I were a little boy, I wouldn't talk about my native state that way. Tennessee has the mountains and Georgia has the hills” (139). John’s disregard of his native state upsets The Grandmother’s traditional sense, and causes her to complain about the disrespect these children exhibit. In Foster’s chapter “Geography Matters,” he explains that geography “can be revelatory of virtually any element in the work” (Foster 166). In this position, the geography advances The Grandmother’s yearning for days past, and gives the story a direction to follow with a journey. Next, this journey leads the family to a filling station and dance hall to acquire barbecue sandwiches. The owner …show more content…
The family finds themselves nearly helpless, when they see a car approaching. Three men exit the vehicle, each armed with a gun. The Grandmother recognizes the frontman of the group as the infamous criminal The Misfit. The Grandmother starts pleading with him, telling him that he is a good man, he comes from good blood. She tries to make a connection with this man based around her dated, traditional values, but she is unable to make the connection. First, he sends Bailey, and John Wesley away with his accomplices, and they do not return, but sounds of gunshots are heard in the distance. Next, he sends The little girl, and mother away with the accomplices, the gunshots return once more. The Grandmother can not understand why he would be doing this, and he explains that he calls himself The Misfit “because [he] can't make what all [he has] done wrong fit what all [he has] gone through in punishment” (O’Connor 152). In Foster’s chapter “Concerning Violence,” he explains that violence can be “cultural and societal in its implications. It can be symbolic, thematic, biblical, Shakespearean, Romantic, allegorical, transcendent” (Foster 88). The Grandmother tries to reach out to The Misfit one more time, and physically touches him, while telling him that he is one of her children. He reacts by shooting her three times. This violent act stems from The Grandmother’s inability to understand the changing societal standards
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