“A Good Man is Hard to Find” is a short story authored by Flannery O’Connor, an important American writer and essayist. O’Connor’s writing style reflects both the cultural dynamics in the South and her personal Christian faith. She utilizes a third person limited point of view to depict the tragic expedition of a Georgia-based family in 1953. The family’s patriarch, Bailey, desires to take his loved ones to Florida; however, his mother, known as “the grandmother,” objects due to the presence of a dangerous criminal named The Misfit, who is also traveling to Florida.
Despite the grandmother’s concern being ignored, Bailey and the family continue their journey to Florida. Along the way, the kids and grandmother convince Bailey to make a detour and visit a plantation that the grandmother had previously been to. Regrettably, they end up getting into an accident on the deserted dirt road leading to the plantation. Stranded and in need of assistance, they unexpectedly encounter The Misfit and his companions who ultimately separate the family members from the grandmother and lead them into the woods to be shot.
The theme of the short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is depicted through characterization, foreshadowing, and irony. The author uses both direct and indirect characterization to expose the grandmother’s self-centeredness, the children’s innocence, and The Misfit’s evil nature. In an attempt to connect with him, the grandmother refers to The Misfit as her own child and tries to touch his shoulder—an action that infuriates him. As a consequence of this manipulation, The Misfit shoots the grandmother three times in the chest. This tragic outcome emphasizes the consequences that can arise when individuals manipulate others’ thoughts and actions.
The grandmother convinces her son, Bailey, to take the kids to Tennessee instead of Florida. She tells him they need to see different parts of the world and that they have never been to east Tennessee. By manipulating him with the idea that this trip will be beneficial for the kids, she achieves her own purpose.
The grandmother expresses concern about The Misfit heading towards Florida and states that she “couldn’t answer to [her] conscience” (O’Connor 402) if she brings the children with her. She uses the word “conscience” to warn Bailey that he is potentially endangering his children and therefore should abandon the idea of going to Florida. Katherine Keil’s article “O’Connor’s ‘Good Man is Hard to Find'” analyzes the story and asserts that the grandmother demonstrates a lack of regard for creation as she selfishly manipulates and nags in order to get what she wants for the family vacation (Keil 45).
Keil’s analysis is reasonable because the grandmother manipulates people’s decisions by taking advantage of their vulnerable minds and being selfish. The kids, John Wesley and June Star, are innocent compared to their selfish grandmother. After encountering The Misfit in the country, John Wesley notices the gun he is holding and asks about it out of curiosity. Unfortunately, this inquiry leads to tragedy as The Misfit is provoked into action. Despite not appearing until the end of the story, The Misfit’s influence is present from the beginning when the grandmother mentions his escape from prison and journey to Florida.
In the story, the author expertly employs direct characterization to introduce The Misfit. The author provides a clear and detailed description, stating that The Misfit’s hair is just beginning to gray and he wears silver rimmed spectacles, which contribute to his scholarly look. Additionally, The Misfit has a long creased face and is not wearing a shirt or undershirt. He is seen wearing tight blue jeans and holding both a black hat and a gun (O’Connor 410). Through these details, it becomes evident to readers that The Misfit is portrayed as an antagonist – his appearance, including the long creased face, ill-fitting clothes, and possession of a gun, becoming a typical image associated with villains.
The conversations between The Misfit and the grandmother reveal his evil nature. After executing Bailey and his son, The Misfit admits to the grandmother that he has come to believe “the crime doesn’t matter.” He explains that whether you kill someone or simply tamper with their car, the consequences are ultimately the same because you will eventually forget what you did and only face punishment for it. John Desmond, an English professor at Whitman College, argues that The Misfit’s actions stem from a delusion that they somehow benefit him. According to Desmond, The Misfit is unable to comprehend his own spiritual state and therefore tries to simplify ethical complexities into a pleasure-pain principle. This analysis by Desmond sheds light on The Misfit’s convoluted values and his adoption of an immoral and lawless philosophy. As a result of this philosophy, his conscience becomes blinded, causing him to perceive his sinful deeds as justified in his own eyes. Additionally, foreshadowing plays a significant role in the story as both a literary element alongside characterization.
The author employs foreshadowing to create suspense and suggest the story’s outcome. In the opening of the story, the grandmother mentions that “The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida” (O’Connor 402). Initially, she uses this alarming news to try and dissuade Bailey and alter his decision. The mention of a dangerous criminal implies a sense of danger. Additionally, the grandmother’s choice of attire on the day of departure foreshadows the family’s impending misfortune.
According to Short Stories for Students, the author of the article ‘Overview: “A Good Man is Hard to Find”‘ describes a scene in which a woman is described as wearing a navy blue straw sailor hat adorned with white violets on the brim and a navy blue dress with small white dots. Her collars and cuffs are trimmed with lace and she has pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet at her neckline(O’Connor 404). The author also analyzes that the grandmother, as the family prepares for their vacation, selects her outfit in anticipation of tragedy(Short Stories for Students 103).
Wilson’s analysis of the text highlights the grandmother’s pessimistic view on the family trip by comparing it to how people are typically dressed in their best outfit when they die. This can be seen in the grandmother’s own attire during the trip. Additionally, during their journey to Florida, the family comes across a cotton field containing several graves, creating a disturbing sight resembling a small island. These graves represent the six family members, including the baby. The unsettling experience of encountering a graveyard on a family trip adds to the somber atmosphere. Eventually, the family finds themselves waiting for help after an accident, where they meet…
Misfit, the character who drives “a big black battered hearse-like automobile” (O’Connor 409), clearly portrays foreshadowing through the appearance of his car, hinting at the tragedy that will soon occur. In an article by Arthur F. Bethea, he argues that O’Connor’s antagonist is consistently linked to death: not only does he work as an undertaker, but he also drives a black “hearse-like automobile” (Bethea 239). Bethea’s interpretation is compelling as the image of a hearse-like automobile creates an ominous atmosphere that effectively predicts the entrance of The Misfit.
Irony, characterization, and foreshadowing are all vital literary elements that contribute to the overall purpose and theme of the story. In this particular story, the author utilizes both verbal irony and situational irony to demonstrate how the manipulative actions of the grandmother ultimately place the entire family in a dangerous predicament. During the story’s exposition, the grandmother cautions Bailey about the potential dangers of traveling with a criminal on the loose (O’Connor 402).
Ironically, the grandmother deliberately excites the children in order to persuade Bailey to take them to see the plantation. This is where they encounter The Misfit. The grandmother tries to convince Bailey by claiming that the trip would be educational for the kids. However, her true motive is to hide her selfishness.
According to Stanley Renne, the grandmother is described as a “blind old woman” who has failed as a parent and has destroyed her own children. She holds onto a false and harmful vision of the past and has an equally mistaken and destructive view of herself in the present (Renner 127). Renne’s interpretation is valid since the grandmother consistently seeks acceptance for her own ideas and coerces her family members into doing what she believes is correct and beneficial for them. However, the grandmother fails to recognize that she herself is constantly self-centered and trapped in nostalgia.
Due to the grandmother’s self-centeredness and longing for the past, she ultimately causes misfortune for the family. Following a car accident, the child expresses deep disappointment by stating, “But nobody’s killed” (O’Connor 409). This dreadful thought coming from a child is remarkably unsettling and serves as a prime example of verbal irony, as later in the story, all members of the family meet their demise. Another irony arises when the grandmother gives her grandchildren a lecture on the importance of respecting others.
In the past, the grandmother reflects on how children used to have more respect for their homeland and their parents (O’Connor 404). However, she ironically demonstrates a lack of respect herself when she refers to an African American child as a “cute pickninny” (O’Connor 404).
In his article, Stephen Brandy analyzes and describes the grandmother as an old woman who is “filled with the prejudices of her class and her time” (Brandy 110). I agree with Brandy’s observation because while the grandmother may appear kind and traditional in her conversations, her thoughtless insult towards African Americans indicates that her racism has been deeply ingrained in her mind without her realization or deliberate ignorance of the issue.
In the short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, the author employs characterization, foreshadowing, and irony to convey the theme that manipulating people’s actions and thoughts can lead to tragic outcomes for loved ones. Through direct and indirect characterization, the author vividly depicts the characters and their interactions.
Foreshadowing is a crucial literary element used by the author in this short story. It creates a sense of suspense, making the story more engaging and dramatic. By employing both situational irony and verbal irony, the author demonstrates how the grandmother’s manipulative character trait brings unfortunate consequences to the family, ultimately revealing the story’s theme. This behavior not only creates distance between a person and their family but also puts their loved ones at risk.
