Essay A Good Man Is Hard To Find

Submitted By lbarry12
Words: 451
Pages: 2

In this story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” there are several important character traits of the grandmother that we are frequently reminded of through the course of the plot. Through her thoughts and interactions with the other characters it is clear that she is someone who is rife with personality flaws and imperfections. The grandmother is hypocritical, manipulative, selffish, and lacks good judgement. However, her own perception of herself is quite the opposite of these traits, showing that she is egotistical. She regards herself, and seemingly only herself, as a “lady.” In her mind, she is the epitome of what a respectable woman should be. She believes that she is someone who can verbally pass judgment onto others and dictate their actions as right or wrong. Not only does she see herself as a lady, but she also clearly sees the past as being far superior to the present. She even scolds her grandson, John Wesley, saying that back in her day children were more respectable of their elders and of their own state. In a conversation with Red Sam, the owner of the restaurant they eat at, she agrees with him that people from the past were more honest and respectable than people in the present time. She then goes on to tell him that he is a good man even though he is rude and yells at his wife. This shows that the grandmother clearly lacks good judgment of who is a good man and is only fond of the people whose beliefs are consistent with her own. Although she views herself as the all mighty dictator of right and wrong, her actions are direct contradictions to her own beliefs, showing that she is hypocritical. She lies to her grandchildren about the secret panel that she claims is