Introduction
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” written by Flannery O'Connor was first publicized in 1953, ensuing O’Connor’s permanent relocation to Andalusia, a dairy farm owned by her mother (Gale, 2015). Since her sickness restricted O’Connor from infrequent and short trips out of the dairy farm, she decided to make use of the few resources present to write her stories. The resources comprised of the individuals around, as well as her reading assets such as the regional and local newsletters. Therefore, this essay provides an analysis of O’Connor’s short story ‘A good man is hard to find’ citing insights the plot, themes and characters of the narration.
The Plot of the Tale
The story begins with a household’s preparation to travel for a retreat in Florida. The narration focusses on the grandma, who prefers going to Tennessee, she even tries to persuade Bailey, her son, to change his decision by telling Bailey and his family of the Misfit’s escape, a re-known murderer (Shi-zhong, 2013). However, Baily refuses to change his resolution and the family heads for Florida. The story also indicates the grandchildren, June Star and John Wesley, as clever children who still appreciate their grandmother as well as her intentions. During the journey, the grandma decides to establish the best moments for herself by secretly bringing her cat along for the ride and focusing on self-centered, shallow and conventional conversations (Emerson, 2011).
The family breaks to eat at a grill stand, their discussion again focuses on the Misfit as the grown-ups approve that humans are generally not as loving as before. Once they head back to the vehicle, the grandmother coaxes Bailey to follow a lane that she envisions (mistakenly, as it occurs) will them to an ancient mansion (Gale, 2015). Unexpectedly, the cat bolts from the basket and hops on Bailey who gets shocked and loses control of the car, which rolls into a trench. As the members examine their injuries, the Misfit and his equipped henchmen drive up and the grandma quickly recognizes him as the Misfit. The henchmen then take Bailey, followed by the children and their mother into the woods where they are murdered, as the Misfit starts a conversation with the grandmother regarding his general lifestyle and the life of being a criminal (Tie-feng, 2017). The Misfit blames his calling on Jesus Christ, who, as he explains destroyed the balance of nature by bringing the dead back to life (Emerson, 2011).
The grandma is frightened as she knows she will also be killed. However, she understands more regarding humanity, and thus, she ends her meaningless prayers and empty declarations of being a ‘nobleman’ and speaks possibly the most real words that the Misfit is like her child (Gale, 2015). Upon which, the Misfit kills her; however, he states that the grandma would have stayed a good person if somebody threated of killing her often (Shi-zhong, 2013). The grandma accepted that she as well as the Misfit, and seemingly the entire humanity, are connected as God’s children.
Characters’ Analysis
The grandma is identified as a selfish and judgmental person. As she converses with Red-Sammy Butts, the grill stand owner, it is evident that she yearns for a moment when she imagines the situation was better. She also resided with Bailey as well as his family but is always criticizing them. Her judgmental attitude has made the family keep their distance as they tend to be unconcerned in her decisions. Her selfishness is also seen when she tends to focus on her safety rather than caring for the rest of the family members’ well-being as well (Tie-feng, 2017).
Bailey, the son to the grandmother, is exasperated. He speaks slightly to others even to his kids. He seems uninterested in the things they desire and only decides to go to the mansion as he was fed up by their complaints. Bailey is also an adherent and indicates no original opinion. He tries to persuade the misfit as well as his crew but he fails; thus, he focuses on the mother as he is taken away as a belief that she would at least make the matters better (Emerson, 2011). Therefore, Bailey does nothing creative in the scene to save his family instead he gives into the destruction.
The Misfit has been seen as a strong-minded, and violent escaped prisoner. The Misfit is a contradictive person, regardless of his experience, he gets embarrassed when Baily talks to them using vulgar language. Additionally, while asking Bobby Lee and Hiram to escort the family into the woods to be murdered he expresses regrets for not having a shirt. The Misfit also salutes his father and mother, yet he exterminated his dad. He relates himself to Christ, but declares his unbelief in Jesus, he also enters into a humanity-searching philosophical dialogue with the grandma, yet after killing her he states that she could be a better person if someone threatened of murdering her habitually (Emerson, 2011).
John Wesley has been portrayed as an intelligent son who is fascinated by exploration. He feels uninterested but immediately gets enthusiastic when his grandmother recommends visiting the farm due to the undisclosed panel that safeguards riches. He is also seen as a violent and obnoxious boy as he constantly battles with June Star, the sister, and fiercely kicks his father’s, Baily’s, car chair (Gale, 2015).
June Star has been acknowledged as an impolite small girl, who is capable of saying anything to anyone. Her impoliteness is displayed in her arguments with her grandma, the Misfit, and with Red-Sammy Butts’s wife. She has no esteem for her seniors or identifies the ruthlessness of the conditions around (Tie-feng, 2017).
The kids’ mother barely talks in the tale and thus, indicating her main purpose in the story is to care for her children. In distinction from Bailey and the grandma, she is altruistic, she is always worried about the newborn and holds him throughout the tale. Additionally, when she grasps that her older son and husband have been murdered she decides to die with them (Gale, 2015).
Themes
The Mysterious Description of a ‘virtuous man’
The grandma uses the term ‘good’ generally, clouding the meaning of a ‘decent person’ till the expression loses its sense entirely. At first, she applied the label as she conversed with Red Sammy where she called him a good person for allowing two guests to charge their petrol (Shi-zhong, 2013). In this scenario her description of ‘virtual’ tend to comprise of blind faith, gullibility, and poor judgment all of which were essentially not ‘good.’ She also applied the term to the Misfit with the hope that he would not shoot a woman since according to her a female held a significant value that was considered moral (Emerson, 2011). In this case, her use of ‘noble’ is twisted depending almost generally on her opinion that the Misfit does not have ‘mutual blood.’ Therefore, according to the grandmother’s belief ‘good’ does not denote kind or moral instead to her, a ‘virtual man’ is the one whose standards are associated with her values.
The Improbable Receivers of Grace
In the narration the Misfit and the grandmother are both grace’s recipients regardless of their many weaknesses, sins, and flaws. According to Christianity, though the two characters made several mistakes, the Misfit’s killings and the grandmother’s lies, they can be granted redemption through the grace of God (Tie-feng, 2017).
Conclusion
O’Conner undertakes a detached third-party to narrate the story; thus, encouraging the readers to agree to the narrator’s state as impartial or neutral. She also uses an ironic and wry tone that suggests her disapproval of the tale’s characters as well as their activities. The storyteller’s description of the characters’ presence and the connection of their discussion illustrate that the reporter positions herself as coming from an upper class and having a higher education than the story’s characters (Emerson, 2011).
