compare and contrast essay a good man is hard to find

A Good Man Is Hard to Find Analysis: Essay Example & Summary

Are you about to write  A Good Man Is Hard to Find theme essay? Then, make sure to check this sample out! Here, you’ll find the story’s summary, moral lesson, themes, and other aspects of the analysis. Keep reading to get some inspiration for your A Good Man Is Hard to Find thesis! 

A great writer Flannery O’Connor has always been a central figure in American literature. Just like her colleague Nadine Gordimer, she covered the moral issues in her bizarre stories. Her short story A Good Man is Hard to Find provides a solid ground for literary analysis. Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find analysis will help you better grasp the story.

Introduction

A Good Man is Hard to Find appeared in 1955 and remains a widely-discussed story up till nowadays. Flannery O’Connor combined the most thoughts-provocative issues of that time in a short piece (Kinney 1). Although society has developed since then, people still deal with the problems mentioned by Flannery O’Connor. A Good Man is Hard to Find analysis will discuss two key themes of the story: selfishness and individualism.

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Summary

A Good Man is Hard to Find is a tragic short story about a family. A grandmother, father, mother, and three kids are going to visit Florida. At first sight, they seem to be good country people. However, there are many pitfalls. Their older children – John Wesley and June Star – are very boorish and ignorant. The mother devotes herself to her kids, not having enough time to live a fulfilled life. The father seems to be annoyed by his children. Finally, the grandmother thinks only about herself, not paying enough attention to the family.

Despite the rumors about the escaped prisoner, The Misfit, the family goes on a trip. While on the way to Florida, the grandmom suddenly remembers an old plantation. Many years ago, she was astonished by its incredible beauty. So, she convinces Bailey, the father, to go off the road and visit that place. Being unsure if she is pointing in the right direction, the grandmother loses her control. As a result, she does not manage to hold her cat. It jumps on Bailey’s shoulder, causing a car accident.

Fortunately, everybody stayed alive. But then, the real troubles start. Trying to deal with the situation, the family hopes somebody will stop by them and offer help. Suddenly, the car appears on the road. The three men get out of the car, and the grandmom recognizes The Misfit among them. In desperate attempts to save her life, the grandmother tries to convince the criminal that he is a good man. She asks him to pray to become closer to Jesus. However, her effort is useless. Ultimately, The Misfit commands to kill all the family members and kills the grandmom himself. That is how dramatically the story ends. 

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Literary Analysis

Selfishness and individualism are the essential themes covered in the story A Good Man is Hard to Find . In the story, the grandmother prioritized her interests rather than the interest of her family. As a result, the tragic ending occurred to everybody. With the example of the grandmom, the author shows how the desire to achieve personal needs affects society.

Selfishness

The main character of the story – the grandmother – is an entirely selfish woman. Her selfishness reflects in the way she acts, the way she interacts with her family, and even in the way she dresses up.

The grandmother is always concerned about her appearance. She is obsessed with the idea of being a lady. So, she dresses up in elegant dresses and fancy hats. She hopes that “in case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (O’Connor 2). Thus, she does not spend time with her grandchildren or help her daughter-in-law with household chores. Instead, the grandmother devotes all her time to herself, choosing appropriate dresses and hats.

Besides being ignorant, the grandmom is also a manipulative woman. She effectively manipulates her family members to suit her interests. For example, she takes her cat on a trip despite Bailey’s prohibition against doing that. She just thinks her cat would miss her if she left it alone at home. As a result, the cat becomes a cause of a terrible car crash.

Moreover, the grandmother manipulates her family to see a plantation she saw many years ago. After taking a nap in the car, she suddenly remembers a beautiful place she visited while young. She wants to recall these memories, so she urges her son to go off the road. The grandmother is sure that Bailey will not be willing to spend much time on an old plantation. Thus, she lies to her grandchildren’s children about a secret panel with plenty of silver in that house. The woman says: “It’s not far from here, I know. It wouldn’t take over twenty minutes” (O’Connor 5). In reality, she does not know for sure how long it would take to reach that place. However, her sense of self-importance makes her lie to her family. She manipulates her son to achieve the desired result.

Grandmom’s selfish purposes create dangerous circumstances for the family. Being under the pressure of his mother, Bailey follows her directions. As a result, they get into a car accident and meet The Misfit. 

Individualism

In addition to selfishness, the grandmother’s character traits also include individualism. In the story, the woman’s individualism is confronted with the individualism of the Misfit. Both characters achieve their own needs through surrounding people. They take whatever they need and move forward, not taking into consideration the needs of others. As a result of this behavior, the world becomes a place where “community holds no value” (Hooten 198).

Both the grandmom and The Misfit are predisposed to be humane. For example, the woman tries to convince the prisoner about the significance of spiritual values. Thus, she has a clear image of what kindness means. Similarly, The Misfit seems to be a well-behaved person from first sight. For instance, he apologizes for being dressed improperly. Nevertheless, in the inner battle of good and evil, evil wins in both characters. 

Therefore, individualism takes the upper hand in the character set of both: the grandmother and the Misfit. While being ignorant of other people, the woman and the criminal destroy society. Their individualistic nature becomes a real threat to the surrounding people. 

The analysis of A Good Man is Hard to Find reveals an intriguing aspect. The grandmother and The Misfit have very similar personalities. They both are ready to lie, manipulate, and murder to fulfill their desires.

A Good Man is Hard to Find essay covers Flannery O’Connor’s concern. The themes of selfishness and individualism worry the author. This issue is critical and should be dealt with immediately. If people keep being selfish individualists, the world will become a group of “self-focused wanderers without a community who use others as means to their own ends” (Hooten 197).

• Gresham, Stephen. Things Darkly Buried: In Praise of A Good Man Is Hard to Find. 2010, Shenandoah , 1-2: 17-18. Web.
• Hooten, Jessica. Individualism in O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find. 2008, The Explicator , 4: 197-198. Web.
• Kinney, Arthur F. A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Overview. 1994, Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press 1-2. Print.
• O’Connor, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find. 2 011, Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing: Custom Edition . X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1-12. Print.

How do you start A Good Man Is Hard to Find analysis essay?

The best way to start an essay on A Good Man Is Hard to Find is to state a clear thesis statement. First, decide on the main points you are going to present. Then, develop a strong thesis, including those ideas. Put everything in words and impress your audience from the very beginning of your essay.

What is the main theme of A Good Man Is Hard to Find?

A Good Man Is Hard to Find covers a lot of crucial issues. However, the central theme is the destructive nature of selfishness and individualism. Flannery O’Connor points out that these traits lead to the establishment of an immoral society.

How would you describe the grandmother in A Good Man Is Hard to Find?

The grandmother is a woman from the Old South. She considers herself an elegant and graceful lady. In fact, she is a selfish, judgmental, and manipulative granny. She gets what she desires by disrespecting the people that surround her.

What is the message in A Good Man Is Hard to Find?

Flannery O’Connor’s message is that human compassion and grace may change even the most ignorant person. It is best seen during the final encounter between the grandmother and The Misfit.

Is the Misfit a good man?

It is a controversial question, and the reader needs to decide for himself. On the one hand, The Misfit is a dangerous escaped convict. He does not feel responsible for his actions and does not believe in God. On the other hand, he compares himself to Jesus. The Misfit gets into a deep philosophical conversation with the grandmother.

What literary devices are used in A Good Man Is Hard to Find?

A Good Man Is Hard to Find is full of literary devices. The author uses symbolism, irony, foreshadowing, and philosophical thoughts that awaken conversations. These literary devices help the reader understand the story’s moral and experience it better.

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A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Literary Critical Analysis Essay

Introduction, short summary of “a good man is hard to find”, “a good man is hard to find” theme analysis, “a good man is hard to find” character analysis: the grandmother, works cited.

The short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” stands as the American Southern Gothic writer Flannery O’Connor’s most disturbing work of fiction. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is the title work of O’Connor’s debut collection of short stories which appeared in 1955, and the piece remains her signature short story (Kinney 1).

The action of “A Good Man is Hard to Find” depicts a family vacation gone terribly awry. On a road trip to Florida a family from Atlanta encounter a homicidal escaped convict whom the media dubs The Misfit. The Misfit and his henchmen execute the entire family and steal their clothes, car and cat. O’Connor tells the story from the point of view of the grandmother.

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” centers upon two themes: selfishness, and individualism. Essentially the grandmother’s insistence on achieving her own selfish ends results in the death of her entire family, as well as the loss of her own life. This essay analyzes the story’s thematic message in regards to selfishness, individualism and its effect on the family as well as the larger community, as represented by The Misfit.

O’Connor identifies the main character – the grandmother – only by role, while all of the other character she provides with names. Despite having no name the grandmother’s character reveals itself early and profoundly; she is obsessed with appearances, connected to a vague Southern past, and concerned with propriety and the value of being a lady.

O’Connor describes her “navy blue straw sailor hat,” her “collars and cuffs [that] were white organdy trimmed with lace” and “purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet” that the grandmother pins at her neckline to ensure that “in case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (O’Connor 2).

Behavior wise the grandmother is a selfish woman who deliberately manipulates her family to suit her own purposes unapologetically and with impunity.

She intentionally misinforms her son Bailey about her cat, Pitty Sing, which she smuggles into the car underneath her “big black valise that looked like the head of a hippopotamus,” even though Bailey has expressly forbid the cat to share the motel room with them (O’Connor 1). Pitty Sing later brings about the deaths of the whole family following the car accident and ensuing encounter with The Misfit.

The grandmother’s pride and inflated sense of self importance, not to mention her failing memory, bring about the family’s downfall. Upon waking up from a nap in the car, the grandmother claims to remember a plantation house from her youth. Even though she knows that her son Bailey “would not be willing to lose any time looking at an old house…the more she talked about it, the more she wanted to see it once again and find out if the little twin arbors were still standing” (O’Connor 5).

Her son’s reluctance, in her mind, remains a simple obstacle to overcome in her desire to get things done her way. Even though Bailey’s “jaw was as rigid as a horseshoe” in response to her goading, the grandmother does not relent (O’Connor 5).

Instead, she lies, and enlists the shrill support of her grandchildren: “There was a secret:-panel in this house,” she said craftily, not telling the truth but wishing that she were, “and the story went that all the family silver was hidden in it when Sherman came through but it was never found” (O’Connor 5). Having stirred the children’s imagination, the grandmother lies again – “It’s not far from here, I know,” the grandmother said. “It wouldn’t take over twenty minutes” (O’Connor 5). The fact is she doesn’t know.

She has no idea where they are. It is not until they are hopelessly lost on the dirt road that “looked as if no one had traveled on it in months” that the grandmother’s “horrible thought” reminds her that the plantation house in question does not exist in the state of Georgia, but in Tennessee, though she is too full of pride to admit this to her son (O’Connor 6) And the wild goose chase that she leads her family on, again, for selfish purposes, leads them to their doomful meeting with The Misfit.

Similarly, the strident individualism that propels the grandmother’s fateful actions manifests itself squarely in the character of The Misfit. The Misfit, like the grandmother, focuses exclusively on himself and employs the other people around him as pawns meant to achieve his own selfish needs and wants (Hooten 198).

The objectification of others – in the case of the grandmother this means the objectification of her own family – results in an overall loss of cohesiveness, wherein “community holds no value” (Hooten 198). Set adrift, peripatetic and aimlessly moving from one empty community to another, “The Misfit exemplifies this void [as] the lost individual who relates to the community through constantly shifting roles” (Hooten 198). Like the grandmother, he takes what he needs in order to get what he wants, and then moves on.

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” also treats individualism through the lens of identity. We see clearly that The Misfit shares Bailey’s ire at the senseless grandmother’s shriek “You’re The Misfit!” she said. “I recognized you at once!” “Yes’m,” the man said…”But it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn’t of reckernized me.” Bailey turned his head sharply and said something to his mother that shocked even the children.

The old lady began to cry and The Misfit reddened” (O’Connor 8). When The Misfit’s fellow criminal Bobby Lee returns from the woods with Bailey’s yellow shirt full of parrots, a moment happens wherein The Misfit, by donning the dead man’s attire, acquires his identity for a moment (Gresham 18). He, like Bailey, views the grandmother’s idiotic obsession with decorum as “selfish, superficial, and condescending,” yet unlike Bailey, he remains free to take action to condemn her (Kinney 1).

The short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” represents Flannery O’Connor’s concern that selfishness and rampant individualism casts people apart and promotes the disenfranchisement of characters such as The Misfit, who invariably end up as “self-focused wanderers without community who use others as means to their own ends” (Hooten 197).

Very little difference exists between the character of the grandmother and the character of The Misfit, aside from their social viability. Both remain selfish and extreme individualists, who will lie, steal, manipulate and murder to affect their own ends. In Flannery O’Connor’s hands, this selfishness and individualism collides at a disaster point and initiates the deaths of five innocent people. Worse, the instigator of their murder is one of their own.

Gresham, Stephen. “Things Darkly Buried: In Praise of A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” Shenandoah 60.1-2 (2010): 17-18. Web.

Hooten, Jessica. “Individualism in O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find.” The Explicator 66.4 (2008): 197-198. Web.

Kinney, Arthur F. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Overview.” Reference Guide to Short Fiction . Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. 1-2. Print.

O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing: Custom Edition. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2011. 1-12. Print.

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A Summary and Analysis of Flannery O’Connor’s ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find’ is one of the best-known short stories by Flannery O’Connor (1925-64), who produced a string of powerful stories during her short life. First published in the collection A Good Man Is Hard to Find in 1955, the story is about an American family who run into an escaped murderer at a plantation.

Before we offer an analysis of some of the key details of the story, here’s a brief summary of its plot.

Plot summary

The story is about a grandmother, her son named Bailey, Bailey’s wife, and the couple’s three children, named June Star, John Wesley, and simply ‘the baby’. The family are going on holiday to Florida. At the beginning of the story, the grandmother points out to her son that a notorious criminal, known as the Misfit, is on the loose and she doesn’t think they should be going on vacation to Florida when the Misfit is rumoured to be heading there.

On their way to their destination, the grandmother tells the children a story of how she was courted by a wealthy man who used to leave her a watermelon every day with his initials, E. A. T., inscribed in it. However, one day a black boy saw the word ‘EAT’ on the watermelon and ate it. This story amuses the children.

The family then stop off for lunch a barbecue diner, The Tower, run by a man named Red Sammy, who talks to the grandmother about the Misfit. It is Red Sammy who remarks, ‘A good man is hard to find’, in reference to the dangerous convict on the loose.

When the family get back on the road, the grandmother persuades her son to take a detour to a plantation she remembers from her youth. She embellishes the story by inventing details, such as the idea that a secret panel concealed the family silver in the house.

However, she has misremembered where the plantation is: Tennessee, rather than Georgia (where the family are). When the grandmother’s cat escapes from his basket and frightens Bailey, he crashes the car into a ditch.

Another car approaches them. It contains three men, one of whom the grandmother recognises as the notorious Misfit. He seems familiar to her, as though she has known him for years.

When she blurts out that she recognises him, the Misfit tells them that it would have been better if she hadn’t recognised him. He talks to the grandmother while his two accomplices lead Bailey into the woods and shoot him. They then do the same with Bailey’s wife and the children. The grandmother tries to flatter the Misfit into sparing her life, telling him that she knows he’s a good man, but to no avail.

The story ends with the grandmother addressing the Misfit as one of her own ‘babies’ or ‘children’; the Misfit shoots her dead. The Misfit has the final word, observing that the grandmother would have been a good woman if she had had someone there ‘to shoot her every minute of her life.’

The character of the grandmother is central to the dramatic power of ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find’. The first two words of the story are ‘The grandmother’; the story begins with her warning her son about the escaped Misfit and ends with her being shot dead by the Misfit; the story opens with the third-person narrator’s reference to Bailey as the grandmother’s ‘only boy’ but ends with her addressing the Misfit as one of her ‘own children’.

And although ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find’ is narrated by an impersonal third-person narrator, in terms of the story’s focalisation we remain close to the grandmother’s perspective on events, seeing things through her eyes and gaining access to her thoughts and feelings as the story approaches its shocking and dramatic climax.

The skill of O’Connor’s writing lies in her ability to shuttle rapidly between comedic moments poking gentle fun at the grandmother and darker plot developments. The point is not that the shift between these two very different modes seems awkward or out of place, but that O’Connor lends the already shocking moments at the end of the story an even more alarming element, through juxtaposing them with lighter comic interludes.

A central theme of O’Connor’s story is, as the title makes clear, goodness: note how the grandmother and Red Sammy’s repeated references to a ‘good man’ meet their match in the Misfit’s statement at the end of the story that the grandmother would have been a ‘good woman’ if someone had been there to (threaten to) shoot her at all times.

This statement of the Misfit’s also highlights another theme O’Connor is exploring: that of crime and punishment. The Misfit tells the grandmother that the punishments he has undergone don’t match with the crimes he has committed. But the story contains a religious angle, too, as exemplified by the grandmother’s epiphany at the end of the story, in which – when confronted with her own imminent death – she reaches out and acknowledges her killer as one of her ‘children’.

This blessing is in stark contrast to the Misfit, who – in almost Dostoevskian fashion – characterises Christianity as a case of either giving up anything and following Christ or rejecting him and doing as one pleases. Anything – murder, burning down someone’s house – is permissible and constitutes the only true pleasure one can get from life.

The grandmother’s final act of blessing (forgiveness, or a last desperate attempt to save her own life?) raises this petty, racially prejudiced, and comical old woman far above the level of the nihilistic Misfit and all he represents.

Of course, it may also be significant that the Misfit – who was accused by one of the prison psychiatrists of killing his own father – personally kills the grandmother, who represents an old and outmoded America. Flannery O’Connor’s story is about a changing America, and the text is marked by the Grandmother’s continual reminiscences about a better, simpler life when she was younger.

The story’s title, taken from Red Sammy’s conversation with the Grandmother in which they lament that the world has become debased and degraded during their lifetimes, places this mood and tone at the centre of the story.

In this connection, the grandmother’s attitude towards African-Americans is already outdated, even in 1955 when the story first appeared.

Her racial stereotypes , such as associating African-Americans with watermelons, the offensive words she uses to describe the black boy they pass in the car, and her casual presumptions about the lives of black people all mark her out as a representative of an older American outlook which is about to be entirely laid to rest with the onset of the US Civil Rights movement. (The Montgomery Bus Boycott , for example, occurred at the end of 1955, the year the story appeared.)

Final thoughts

Viewed this way, ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find’ might be productively analysed alongside a another key American text from the 1950s: Tennessee Williams’ play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , also from 1955, similarly deals with the generational gap between an older America and the younger Americans who represent a new attitude, especially regarding race.

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A Good Man is Hard to Find

Flannery o’connor, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

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• A Good Man Is Hard to Find
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Related Topics

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A Good Man Is Hard to Find Compare and Contrast

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Readability

A book can’t be judge by its cover, just like a character. Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” begins with an innocent family vacation ending in a tragic deaths after taking a detour. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates features a typical teenage girl who begs for attention from males and meets her match at the end. The Misfit and Arnold Friend’s characteristics make them frightening in many ways. The appearance of a character says a lot about who they are. The way the Misfit is introduce in the story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is scary.

A family has an accident and they are lying helplessly on the ground. He sees the accident occur and approaches the family. O’Connor writes “It came to a stop just over them and for some minutes, the driver looked down with a steady expressionless gaze to where they were sitting, and didn’t speak. Then he turned his head and muttered something to the other two and they got out”. On a dirt road, in the middle of nowhere, just had an accident and three men come riding up, seems a little specious and terrifying.

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The Misfit has two other men with him and they all get out of the car slowly and stare at the family. O’Connor describes the Misfit, “His hair was just beginning to gray and he wore silver-rimmed spectacles that gave him a scholarly look. He had a long creased face and didn’t have on any shirt or undershirt. He had on blue jeans that were too tight for him and was holding a black hat and a gun”. Holding a gun while getting out of “big black battered hearse-like automobile”, says O’Connor describing the car, is a little ironic. Normally they irony of an event occurring is the creepy part.

The Misfit isn’t the only one with a gun but, O’Connor says, “The two boys also had guns”. What makes them threatening is not what they have on but the guns that they are carrying. Under most circumstances the antagonist of a story always has a “sidekick”, which adds to the factor of making the antagonist seem daunting. Arnold Friend’s character in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is much more complex. He disguises himself as a eighteen year old boy, “Tight faded jeans stuffed into black, scuffed boots, a belt that pulled his waist in and showed how lean he was, nd a white pull-over shit that was a little soiled and showed the hard muscles of his arms and shoulders” (Oates 621). That is a creepy thing to do, going through all the trouble to catch the eye of a victim. The tactics Arnold use makes him disturbing like his car as bait and Ellie. Arnold’s car has his name on the side of it and all the different sayings that the teenagers used during that time. The car was bait and if he catches a female looking at it he would trap them. Ellie is Arnold’s who stays in the car the whole time with the radio playing.

This is a distraction while talking to Connie. He is a stalker, he knows where she lives because he randomly shows up at her house. Next, he knows her name and she doesn’t even tell him. When Arnold says, Connie you ain’t telling the truth” (Oates). Connie knows she never revile her name. Connie also knows she never says anything about where her family is or what they are doing, but Arnold Friend knows that information too. How creepy can a character be, playing a fake role of an eighteen year old boy, and stalking a fifteen year old girl?

The way a character speaks defines who they are. The Misfit is the antagonist of the story but he is a polite character. The first words Misfit say, “Good afternoon, I see you all had a little spill” (O’Connor). Why would a killer say Good afternoon and asking questions instead of just killing the family. He says yes ma’am and no ma’am when he is talking to the Grandmother. The Misfit doesn’t tell the family what to do but he asks them, “Would you mind stepping back in them woods there with them” (O’Connor)? Normally, killers are demanding and quick.

They take what they want and kill off what is no longer needed, which most of time the characters. As the Misfit is killing off the family he takes his time, he talks about his past and what type of person he use to be and is now. His politeness gives a whole appearance of being a murder a twist. To pull it all together, the Misfit is kind and respectful. He puts on a shirt in front of the ladies. Then says, Hep that lady up Hiram, and Bobby Lee you hold onto that little girl’s hand” (O’Connor). What killer would do all these nice things before he brutally murders them.

The fact that the Misfit is a gentleman and not disrespectful when he speaks is what is horrifying and mind-boggling to readers. Soft spoken words of love being whisper into an innocent ear, that’s Arnold’s way of being frightening. His strange appearance adds to the threatening quality of his calm and gentle voice as he tries to convince Connie to come outside. Arnold says, “Yes, I’m your lover. You don’t know what that is but you will” (Oates). Arnold is saying this to an adolescent, who thinks she wants to be in love but has no idea what she is getting into.

Connie proves her innocents when she tells Arnold to “Shut up! You’re crazy” (Oates)! Connie can’t handle how Arnold speaks to her in the “romantic” way that he does. Their scare Connie because it is not what he says to her but how he says it. Any mystery to Arnold quickly fades as he begins to make threats and demands. When he claims to know things about her family and neighbors that he couldn’t possibly know, that makes Connie question who he really is. As she begins to ask his voice changes from calm to hash, forceful, and demanding.

The way he speaks to Connie is what makes him the dreadful character that Arnold is. The Antagonist isn’t really a villain unless there are victims and crimes being committed. The Misfit and the two other men commit murder. Hiram and Bobby Lee kill the family and the Misfit kills the Grandmother. The Misfit lives by a moral code that involves murder and remorselessness. The way he kills her is so savage like. O’Conner describes, “The Misfit sprang back as if a snake had bitten him and shot her three times through the chest. Then he put his gun down on the ground and took off his glasses and began to clean them”.

The Misfit is heartless because he murdered an old woman and didn’t show any remorse or regret. Misfit, Hiram, and Bobby Lee leaves the scene and go about like it is a normal day. The Misfit somewhat destroys the Grandmother mentally before she dies because he makes her question her religion. As the Misfit gives his view on religion, the Grandmother mumbles, “Maybe He didn’t raise the dead” (O’Connor). For a split second she has doubt and knows her time is coming and begs for her life but that doesn’t make the Misfit his mind.

By making the Grandmother question her religion makes it easier for the Misfit to pull the trigger. Arnold destroys Connie emotionally and mentally. When Connie becomes completely afraid she runs to lock the door but Arnold says, “It’s just a screen door. It’s just nothing” (Oates). The door is supposed to protect Connie, but Arnold tells her he could come through that door if he wanted to. He tells Connie that her dad isn’t coming back for her, anything that Connie says, he changes it around to where it is making him look like he is the good guy and everyone that can save her is the bad guy.

Arnold devastates all of Connie’s walls of protection. He says, “If the place got lit up with a fire honey you’d come running out into my arms, right into my arms and safe at home — like you knew I was your lover and’d stopped fooling around” (Oates). Arnold is brainwashing Connie because he knows she is naive, and will believe whatever he tells her. This is why he says things to threaten her to break her down. Arnold Friend tells Connie, “The place where you came from ain’t there no more, and where you had in mind to go is cancelled out” (Oates).

When he says that, Connie gives in because she knows he is talking about her past and future. She no longer has a future, and at that point Connie walks out the house and gives into Arnold. Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? ” by Joyce Carol Oates convey characters that have frightening elements. It is not always bout what a character is doing to make them fearsome, but how they are doing it. An appearance says a lot but actions speak so much louder.

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Former President Donald J. Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson are expected to make a joint announcement on Friday about “election integrity,” a broad term often used by Mr. Trump and other Republicans to cast doubt on elections the party lost.

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Michael Gold is a political correspondent for The Times covering the campaigns of Donald J. Trump and other candidates in the 2024 presidential elections. More about Michael Gold

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Home — Guides — A Good Man is Hard to Find — Exploring Characters in A Good Man Is Hard to Find: A Detailed Tutorial

by Flannery O'Connor

• Introduction
• Plot summary
• All Characters

The Grandmother

John wesley.

• Good vs Evil
• All Literary Devices
• Point of View
• All Infographics
• Plot Diagram
• Character Map
• Who is a Good Man?
• Biography of author

A Good Man is Hard to Find: Characters

Table of contents.

The character of the grandmother in Flannery O’Connor’s short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is complex and multi-dimensional. On the surface, the grandmother appears to be a typical southern lady of her time, with her carefully chosen words, genteel manners, and old-fashioned clothing. However, upon closer examination, the reader discovers a character whose moral compass is deeply flawed, and whose actions lead to tragedy for her family.

At the beginning of the story, " A Good Man is Hard to Find", the grandmother is introduced as a self-centered, manipulative woman who is determined to get her way. She insists that the family change their travel plans and go to visit an old plantation house she remembers from her youth, despite the fact that her son, Bailey, has already made other plans. She even goes so far as to bring her cat along, despite Bailey’s protests, which ultimately leads to the car accident that sets the story’s tragic events in motion.

As the family continues on their journey, the grandmother’s behavior becomes increasingly problematic. She constantly criticizes her son’s parenting, berates her grandchildren for their manners and dress, and tells long-winded stories that are irrelevant to the conversation. Her sense of superiority and entitlement are evident throughout the story, and she seems to believe that her opinion should be the final word on everything.

Despite her flaws, the grandmother is not without moments of genuine kindness and compassion. She tries to comfort her granddaughter June Star when the child is upset, and she even attempts to reach out to the Misfit, the escaped convict who ultimately kills her family. However, these moments are often overshadowed by her selfishness and lack of empathy for others.

One of the most revealing scenes in the story occurs when the grandmother recognizes the Misfit and tries to appeal to his sense of decency by calling him a “good man”. The Misfit responds by saying, “I ain't a good man … but I ain't the worst in the world neither.” This exchange underscores the theme of moral ambiguity that runs throughout the story, and suggests that the grandmother’s rigid, black-and-white view of the world is misguided.

In the story’s final moments, the grandmother’s true nature is revealed. When faced with imminent death at the hands of the Misfit and his henchmen, the grandmother pleads for her life and begs the Misfit to pray with her. In this moment, she recognizes the value of her own life, and is willing to do anything to preserve it, even if it means betraying her family and the values she claimed to hold.

Overall, the character of the grandmother is a complex and flawed portrayal of a woman who is trapped by her own sense of entitlement and superiority. Despite moments of kindness and compassion, she ultimately brings tragedy upon her family, and is unable to redeem herself even in the face of death. Through her character, O’Connor offers a commentary on the moral ambiguity of the human condition, and suggests that true goodness is not as easily defined as we might like to think.

The Misfit is the main antagonist of Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find." He is a convicted criminal who has escaped from prison and is on the run with his companions. Despite his violent nature and criminal past, the Misfit is a complex character who elicits both fear and sympathy from the reader.

The Misfit is first introduced when the Grandmother reads about him in the newspaper and warns her family to avoid the area where he was last seen. Later on, the Misfit and his companions encounter the family on a desolate road and the story takes a dark turn. The Misfit's demeanor is calm and collected, but his words and actions reveal his violent tendencies.

Throughout the story, the Misfit engages in a series of conversations with the Grandmother that shed light on his character. He is well-spoken and intelligent, with a philosophical outlook on life. He believes that life is meaningless and that there is no such thing as right or wrong. This nihilistic worldview is reflected in his criminal behavior, as he sees no reason to conform to society's rules.

Despite his criminality, the Misfit is not portrayed as a one-dimensional villain. He shows moments of vulnerability and even remorse, which makes him a more nuanced character. When the Misfit talks about his time in prison, he reveals that he doesn't like to kill people and that it makes him feel bad. He also expresses regret for not being present when his father died.

The climax of the story comes when the Misfit orders his companions to take the family members into the woods to be killed. The Grandmother, who has been trying to manipulate and reason with the Misfit throughout the story, finally has a moment of clarity and recognizes the Misfit's humanity. She reaches out to him and calls him "one of my own children," prompting the Misfit to shoot her in the chest.

The Misfit's reaction to the Grandmother's gesture is significant in understanding his character. He is visibly shaken and expresses a sense of confusion, as if he doesn't know how to respond to the Grandmother's act of kindness. This suggests that the Misfit is not a purely evil character, but rather someone who has been shaped by his circumstances and experiences.

In conclusion, the Misfit is one of the most complex characters in "A Good Man is Hard to Find. " He is a criminal and a murderer, but he also shows moments of vulnerability and regret. His nihilistic worldview and violent tendencies are tempered by his moments of introspection and confusion. The Misfit's character adds depth to the story and raises questions about the nature of morality and human behavior.

Bailey, the son of the grandmother in Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," is a character who is largely absent throughout the story. Though he is the driver of the family's car on their ill-fated trip, he is not given much description or dialogue, and his actions are often driven by the desires of the other characters, particularly his mother. However, there are a few key moments that reveal important aspects of Bailey's character and his relationship with his family.

One of the main traits that can be inferred from Bailey's actions is his lack of assertiveness. He allows his mother to manipulate him into changing their travel plans, despite initially expressing his desire to go to Florida instead of Tennessee. He also seems resigned to his mother's tendency to dominate conversations and make decisions for the family. When the Misfit and his accomplices arrive and threaten the family, Bailey is initially passive, making no attempt to protect his family or assert his authority as the head of the household. He only becomes agitated and takes action when his wife and child are threatened.

Another aspect of Bailey's character is his role as a father. Though he is not given much opportunity to interact with his son, John Wesley, or his daughter, June Star, it is clear that he cares for them deeply. When the Misfit first appears and threatens the family, Bailey is quick to reassure his children that everything will be all right. He also becomes visibly distraught when he believes that his son has been shot, and his emotional response to this event is one of the few instances in which his character is fully fleshed out.

However, Bailey's role as a father is complicated by his relationship with his mother. The grandmother's constant criticism and belittling of Bailey undermine his authority as a parent, and it is clear that he feels frustrated and trapped by her presence. At one point in the story, he even tells his mother to "shut up" after she suggests that he should have brought a gun on the trip. This outburst is one of the few instances in which Bailey stands up to his mother, and it reveals the extent of his pent-up frustration.

Overall, Bailey is a character who is largely defined by his relationships with others. He is a passive, somewhat resigned figure who allows his mother to dominate the family's decisions and conversations. However, he is also a caring father who is deeply affected by the threats to his family's safety. The tension between his roles as a son, a father, and the head of the household make him a complex and multifaceted character, despite his limited presence in the story.

June Star is one of the characters in Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find". She is the young granddaughter of the grandmother and Bailey's daughter. June Star is portrayed as a sassy and opinionated child who does not hesitate to speak her mind. She is one of the more interesting characters in the story, as her dialogue often reveals a great deal about the family's dynamics.

June Star is first introduced in the story as a young girl who is bored and unimpressed with the prospect of going on a family road trip. She is critical of her surroundings and the people around her, and her comments often add a touch of dark humor to the story. For example, when the family stops at a restaurant, June Star criticizes the owner's appearance, calling him a "monkey".

Despite her young age, June Star seems to have a deep understanding of the world and the people around her. She is quick to point out the flaws in other people, including her own family members. For example, when her grandmother tells a lie about the location of a house she remembers, June Star is quick to point out the falsehood. She is also critical of her own mother, who she says would not have made a good doctor.

While June Star's character is not fully developed in the story, her presence adds a layer of complexity to the family dynamics. Her comments and opinions reveal the family's flaws and foibles, and her frankness contrasts with the grandmother's attempts to present a façade of Southern hospitality and manners. Ultimately, June Star serves as a reminder that even the youngest members of the family are not immune to the darkness and violence that permeates the story.

John Wesley is the eight-year-old son of Bailey and the Grandmother's grandson. He is portrayed as a disrespectful and impolite child who lacks any sense of appreciation or gratitude towards his parents and grandmother. He is constantly questioning and challenging his family's decisions, particularly his father's, and shows a lack of concern for their safety or well-being.

Throughout the story, John Wesley is shown as a symbol of the younger generation's lack of respect for authority and traditional values. He is more interested in his own entertainment, such as playing on his phone, than engaging in any family activities or listening to his parents and grandmother. When the family decides to take a detour to visit an old plantation house, John Wesley shows no interest in the historical significance and instead complains about the lack of any fun activities.

Although he is a minor character in the story, John Wesley's behavior serves to highlight the generational divide between the older, more traditional values of his parents and grandmother, and the younger, more rebellious attitudes of the newer generation. O'Connor uses John Wesley to critique the breakdown of respect and values in modern society and the consequences that can arise from such a shift.

Bobby Lee is one of the Misfit's companions and one of the escaped convicts who come across the family in "A Good Man is Hard to Find". Although he is not a major character, he plays a significant role in the story as one of the Misfit's accomplices.

Bobby Lee is portrayed as a simple-minded, violent individual who is easily influenced by the Misfit. He is the one who carries the yellow shirt that the Misfit later puts on after he kills the Grandmother. He is also the one who retrieves the gun from the car that is used to kill the family. Bobby Lee's willingness to follow the Misfit's orders shows his lack of independent thought and his blind loyalty to his leader.

Despite his violent actions, Bobby Lee is not portrayed as a malicious character. He seems to be a follower rather than a leader and may not fully understand the consequences of his actions. This is shown when he expresses concern about leaving the children alone after the Misfit suggests they should be killed. Bobby Lee may be seen as a character who lacks moral agency, as he is easily manipulated by the Misfit and does not appear to have a strong sense of right and wrong.

Overall, Bobby Lee serves as a minor but significant character in "A Good Man is Hard to Find", portraying the dangers of blind loyalty and the consequences of following a violent leader.

Hiram is a minor character in Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find." He is one of the two henchmen of the Misfit, who the Grandmother and her family encounter on their ill-fated road trip.

Hiram is described as a "chunky boy with a red sweatshirt" and is portrayed as being somewhat slow-witted. He is often seen following orders from the more dominant Bobby Lee and the Misfit himself. Despite his limited dialogue and actions in the story, Hiram's presence adds to the tension and unease felt by the family and the readers.

In the scene where the family's car is overturned in a ditch, Hiram is tasked with holding the baby while the Misfit and Bobby Lee deal with the rest of the family. He seems unsure of how to handle the infant and awkwardly hands it over to Bobby Lee.

Overall, Hiram's character serves as a symbol of the Misfit's power over his subordinates and the helplessness of the family in their encounter with him. Despite his limited role, Hiram's presence contributes to the sense of danger and unpredictability in the story.

Red Sam is the owner of the Tower restaurant where the family stops for lunch on their way to Florida. He is a symbol of the corrupt and decaying society that the Grandmother warns against. Red Sam is friendly with the family and strikes up a conversation with the Grandmother about how "a good man is hard to find." He laments the state of the world, saying that "it's no real pleasure in life." However, he is not above exploiting others for his own gain, as evidenced by his charging for the gas he sold to the family even though he had previously agreed to let them have it for free. Red Sam represents the hypocrisy and moral decay of the society, where people speak of the need for goodness but fail to act on it themselves.

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