“A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
Flannery O’Connor (1955)
Summary-
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is an American short story written by Flannery O’Connor. The story begins with a family that lives in Georgia who is taking a trip to Florida for vacation. The Grandmother lives with her son, Bailey, and his family. Bailey and the Mother have three kids: John Wesley, June Star and a baby. The Grandmother wants the family to drive to Tennessee instead of Florida so that she can visit some old friends. She uses the excuse that the children have been to Florida before and that an escaped criminal is making his way to Florida. Before the family leaves for their trip, the Grandmother hides her cat, Pitty Sing, in a basket in the car. She says that she dressed up so that if something happens, people will know she is a lady. On the way to Florida, the family stops at the Tower, a restaurant owned by Red Sammy Butts. While they were at the restaurant, Sammy tells them that people are untrustworthy and his wife says she doesn’t trust anyone, including her own husband. The Grandmother brings up the Misfit and they say that they are scared he is going to rob them. Then Red Sammy says, “a good man is hard to find”. They continue on their trip and the Grandmother remembers a plantation that she once visited was close by. She describes the plantation to the family and the children begin to beg to go there and Bailey finally gives in. Bailey starts driving to the plantation deep into the woods when the Grandmother realizes the house is actually in Tennessee. She was so embarrassed by her mistake that she shuffles her feet and Pitty Sing, the cat, escapes from the basket and causes Bailey to wreck the car. A car passes by them and three men carrying guns get out of the car and approach them. The Grandmother realizes it’s the Misfit and the men become very nervous. The Grandmother begins to carry on a conversation with the Misfit while he orders his men to take Bailey and John Wesley into the woods. The Grandmother continues to try and calm down the Misfit but she soon hears gunshots. She asks him if he has ever prayed and tries to distract him from what’s going on. The Misfit tells the Grandmother that he was told he killed his father but he does not remember doing it. The Misfit then instructs his men to take the Mother, June Star, and the baby into the woods and more gunshots are heard. The Grandmother begins to panic and begs the Misfit not to shoot a lady. Out of a last resort, the Grandmother calls the Misfit “one of my own children”, but he then shoots her three times in the chest. The men come back from the woods to see the Misfit has killed the Grandmother and he says, “She would have been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life”.
Analysis-
Love can be shown in many different ways and in various situations. Flannery O’Connor is an author known for putting the characters in situations where they are in their previous selfish ways and overcome that and then show how religion has changed them. In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, the family takes a trip to Florida and have unexpected troubles on the way there. The Grandmother lives with her son, Bailey, and his family. The family sometimes gets fed up with the Grandmother, shown in the beginning of the second paragraph. The Grandmother is trying to convince the family to take a trip to Tennessee instead of Florida and “Bailey didn’t look up from his reading so she wheeled around then and faced the children’s mother” (O’Connor). This is showing that Bailey was very irritated with the Grandmother and she realized that and tried to get attention from the rest of the family. Although, it is implied that Bailey loves his mother since she lives with the family. As the story goes on, we continue to learn more about the Grandmother and her values and how she goes about her life. The day of their trip, the Grandmother gets into the car all dressed up because “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.” (O’Connor) This sentence is foreshadowing to what is to come in the future. The Grandmother is unaware of their upcoming run in with the Misfit, but she is prepared for anything. They begin their trip to Florida and stop at a restaurant and talk with Red Sammy Butts and his wife. They talk about how no one is trustworthy and Red Sammy says, “Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more.” (O’Connor) The love and respect of others has lowered and people are able to tell a significant difference. The author is trying to make the point that nothing is the same anymore; you can’t even truth your loved ones. The Grandmother convinces the family to take a trip to an old plantation, which turns out to really be located in Tennessee. They have a run in with the Misfit because of their car accident and the Grandmother automatically recognizes him. His men begin to kill the family while the Grandmother begins to pray and distract the Misfit. She is asking him if he believes in God and tells him that deep down he is a good person. The Grandmother is using God’s love and grace to get herself through this situation. Her last attempt was telling the Misfit “You’re one of my children” (O’Connor) and she wants him to feel as though he is loved. In the end, her attempts do not work and the Misfit ends up killing her. After he kills her, he says, “She would have been a good woman,” (O’Connor) and this is suggesting that the Misfit does believe in some good. This is implying the idea that God’s love and forgiveness is always available to everyone no matter who you are or what you have done in life.
Flannery O’Connor (1955)
Summary-
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is an American short story written by Flannery O’Connor. The story begins with a family that lives in Georgia who is taking a trip to Florida for vacation. The Grandmother lives with her son, Bailey, and his family. Bailey and the Mother have three kids: John Wesley, June Star and a baby. The Grandmother wants the family to drive to Tennessee instead of Florida so that she can visit some old friends. She uses the excuse that the children have been to Florida before and that an escaped criminal is making his way to Florida. Before the family leaves for their trip, the Grandmother hides her cat, Pitty Sing, in a basket in the car. She says that she dressed up so that if something happens, people will know she is a lady. On the way to Florida, the family stops at the Tower, a restaurant owned by Red Sammy Butts. While they were at the restaurant, Sammy tells them that people are untrustworthy and his wife says she doesn’t trust anyone, including her own husband. The Grandmother brings up the Misfit and they say that they are scared he is going to rob them. Then Red Sammy says, “a good man is hard to find”. They continue on their trip and the Grandmother remembers a plantation that she once visited was close by. She describes the plantation to the family and the children begin to beg to go there and Bailey finally gives in. Bailey starts driving to the plantation deep into the woods when the Grandmother realizes the house is actually in Tennessee. She was so embarrassed by her mistake that she shuffles her feet and Pitty Sing, the cat, escapes from the basket and causes Bailey to wreck the car. A car passes by them and three men carrying guns get out of the car and approach them. The Grandmother realizes it’s the Misfit and the men become very nervous. The Grandmother begins to carry on a conversation with the Misfit while he orders his men to take Bailey and John Wesley into the woods. The Grandmother continues to try and calm down the Misfit but she soon hears gunshots. She asks him if he has ever prayed and tries to distract him from what’s going on. The Misfit tells the Grandmother that he was told he killed his father but he does not remember doing it. The Misfit then instructs his men to take the Mother, June Star, and the baby into the woods and more gunshots are heard. The Grandmother begins to panic and begs the Misfit not to shoot a lady. Out of a last resort, the Grandmother calls the Misfit “one of my own children”, but he then shoots her three times in the chest. The men come back from the woods to see the Misfit has killed the Grandmother and he says, “She would have been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life”.
Analysis-
Love can be shown in many different ways and in various situations. Flannery O’Connor is an author known for putting the characters in situations where they are in their previous selfish ways and overcome that and then show how religion has changed them. In “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, the family takes a trip to Florida and have unexpected troubles on the way there. The Grandmother lives with her son, Bailey, and his family. The family sometimes gets fed up with the Grandmother, shown in the beginning of the second paragraph. The Grandmother is trying to convince the family to take a trip to Tennessee instead of Florida and “Bailey didn’t look up from his reading so she wheeled around then and faced the children’s mother” (O’Connor). This is showing that Bailey was very irritated with the Grandmother and she realized that and tried to get attention from the rest of the family. Although, it is implied that Bailey loves his mother since she lives with the family. As the story goes on, we continue to learn more about the Grandmother and her values and how she goes about her life. The day of their trip, the Grandmother gets into the car all dressed up because “In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.” (O’Connor) This sentence is foreshadowing to what is to come in the future. The Grandmother is unaware of their upcoming run in with the Misfit, but she is prepared for anything. They begin their trip to Florida and stop at a restaurant and talk with Red Sammy Butts and his wife. They talk about how no one is trustworthy and Red Sammy says, “Everything is getting terrible. I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more.” (O’Connor) The love and respect of others has lowered and people are able to tell a significant difference. The author is trying to make the point that nothing is the same anymore; you can’t even truth your loved ones. The Grandmother convinces the family to take a trip to an old plantation, which turns out to really be located in Tennessee. They have a run in with the Misfit because of their car accident and the Grandmother automatically recognizes him. His men begin to kill the family while the Grandmother begins to pray and distract the Misfit. She is asking him if he believes in God and tells him that deep down he is a good person. The Grandmother is using God’s love and grace to get herself through this situation. Her last attempt was telling the Misfit “You’re one of my children” (O’Connor) and she wants him to feel as though he is loved. In the end, her attempts do not work and the Misfit ends up killing her. After he kills her, he says, “She would have been a good woman,” (O’Connor) and this is suggesting that the Misfit does believe in some good. This is implying the idea that God’s love and forgiveness is always available to everyone no matter who you are or what you have done in life.