An Assessment of the Grandmother from “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor
In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is hard to Find,” the central character is the grandmother, who despite her old age, remains cheerful and enthusiastic about life. The story revolves around a family on vacation who tragically meet their end at the hands of a criminal called “The Misfit.” The grandmother challenges societal norms with her traditional clothing and beliefs, which sharply contrast with her sharp intellect and cunning nature. These qualities set her apart from the submissive women of her time.
The Grandmother is an intelligent woman who is skilled at asserting herself by utilizing the resources she has available and manipulating them through appealing to their moral values. This demonstrates that the grandmother is a complex and evolving character. Initially, she acts as a manipulative mother towards her son Bailey. However, she later transforms into a whimsical and playful grandmother who sparks her grandchildren’s imaginations through her storytelling. Eventually, she undergoes an “awakening” and accepts her defeat in a moral struggle and failed manipulation plot with The Misfit, leading her to become a more humble individual.
From the very start, we witness the grandmother’s forceful and cunning nature. Despite her son Bailey’s plans for the family to go to Florida, she insists on going to Tennessee to visit her old friends. In her efforts to persuade Bailey, she takes advantage of every opportunity that presents itself and utilizes all means necessary to achieve her desired outcome.
She shows him a newspaper article about a criminal on the loose from the Federal Penitentiary heading towards Florida, emphasizing the potential danger to their children. She questions her own conscience if she were to take them in that direction. However, when her initial effort fails, she appeals to Bailey’s concern for their grandchildren, arguing that they need exposure to different parts of the world to broaden their horizons.
Ultimately, the grandmother’s readiness to embark on the journey the following morning, despite her defeat, highlights her dynamic and adaptable character. This manipulative nature is pivotal to the plot’s progression, igniting a narrative of fire and conflict. By convincing her son Bailey to take a detour and explore an old house, the grandmother maneuvers the story. Despite Bailey’s refusal, she turns to her grandchildren and fabricates tales of a secret panel in the house, concealing the silver hidden by its previous occupants.
The grandmother has the ability to ignite the children’s imagination and senses, which leads them to throw a frantic tantrum and convinces Bailey to change his mind. As a result of this detour, they have an accident and come face to face with The Misfit. Despite being confident in her power to persuade her son, the grandmother uses the same tactic on The Misfit in hopes of avoiding being killed. She preaches about his morality and constantly flatters him by telling him he is a good man and comes from a nice people (364).
The grandmother’s overwhelming desperation is evident as she desperately attempts to connect with The Misfit, referring to him as “one of her children” and physically touching his shoulders. Unfortunately, this desperate move leads to her untimely demise at the hands of The Misfit. Interestingly, her manipulative tactics prove ineffective with The Misfit, only serving to further infuriate and enrage him. As he remarks, “She would have been a good woman…if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life” (368). Additionally, the grandmother’s unique personality shines through her distinctive clothing and style.
The author introduces the grandmother as a well-mannered lady wearing a navy blue suit, a navy blue sailor hat, and white cotton gloves. What makes her attire unusual is that it doesn’t suit the humid climate she is in. Despite this, the grandmother doesn’t seem to mind and instead holds onto her aristocratic and old-fashioned beliefs. She remarks, “If she were to die in an accident on the highway, it would be clear to anyone that she was a lady” (357).
Instead of perceiving the grandmother as a hypocrite and superficial person, it is possible to interpret her as a lost soul in an era and place that no longer exists. Her outdated attire, behavior, and mindset signify her feeling of being confined and her longing for the past. This is evident in her frequent reminiscing about bygone days, her desire to reconnect with former acquaintances in Tennessee, and her nostalgia for the old house on the hill. These are significant signs of a repressed spirit trapped in the emotions of an unresolved history.
Unfortunately, this constant longing for the past will lead both her and her family towards their demise. The grandmother’s character, in contrast to the other characters in the narrative, is the most lively and changeable, much like how her choice of clothing stands out. Her son, Bailey, is a heartless and egocentric individual whose demeanor is just as dull as his yellow parrot shirt. He deliberately rebels against his mother’s authority and despises her optimistic outlook. “The children’s mother inserted a dime into the machine and played ‘The Tennessee Waltz’, and the grandmother commented that this melody always made her feel like dancing.”
She inquired of Bailey if he would care to partake in the act of dancing, yet he simply gave her a fierce glare.” Conversely, Bailey’s wife exhibits a passive demeanor, consumed by the singular preoccupation of cradling her infant incessantly. To paint a more vivid picture, “the grandmother stands as a colossal crimson rose amidst withered vegetation within a vast expanse”. This contrast intensifies during her encounter with the story’s antagonist, The Misfit. The grandmother and The Misfit both possess formidable personas that juxtapose one another, evident in their divergent sartorial choices and differing moral perspectives.
The Battle of Endor in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi can be compared to reading between the lines. It showcases a clash between “good,” represented by Luke Skywalker, and “evil,” personified by Darth Vader. This confrontation generates optimism as we anticipate good triumphing over evil. Likewise, we remain hopeful that the grandmother will succeed in persuading The Misfit to spare her life and reform his malevolent ways. However, despite our hopes, The Misfit shoots the grandmother three times in her chest. The demise of the grandmother caused by The Misfit evokes various reactions from us.
Initially, one may perceive a sense of vengeance towards the grandmother, believing she received what was due to her for her self-centeredness and manipulative nature. Simultaneously, there is a sorrow for the triumph of evil over goodness, a stark reminder that often “guns are still mightier than words or even religion.” Ultimately, the story imparts a valuable lesson that an individual’s character and morality are deeply ingrained and cannot be altered instantaneously or through mere references to God or religion.
When the grandmother dies, the author portrays her in a peaceful state, with her body positioned in a childlike manner and a smile on her face, looking up at the sky. This displays O’Connor’s belief in salvation through religion, suggesting that everyone can be saved regardless of their past deceitful actions. Throughout the story, our feelings towards the grandmother undergo constant fluctuations, ranging from hatred to love, anger to sadness.
We are both drawn to and repelled by her. We admire her for her fun-loving nature, positive attitude, and sentimental attachment to the past. However, we also dislike her because she reminds us of our own grandmothers or mothers who would never stop talking at home and always acted like they knew everything in the world. They would constantly assert their control and dominance over us. It is this ability to prompt conflicting emotions and association with real life that makes this story worth revisiting.
References
- O’ Connor, F. (1955). A Good Man Is Hard to Find. In G. Giola, & J. Kennedy (Ed. ), Backpack Literature (pp. 355-368). USA: Pearson
