A Good Man Is Hard To Find

Grandmother vs. The Misfit in "A Good Man is Hard to Find"

In the story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor, the theme is strongly supported throughout the story and is stated in the title of the story itself.

In " A Good Man is Hard to Find", O'Connor uses symbolism throughout the entire story to represent faith and death.

O'Connor foreshadows death when the family goes to the town "Toomsboro". The graveyard in the plantation is a symbol of death, and O'Connor also writes, "It was a big black battered hearse like automobile" (357) which symbolizes that the family's transportation to death has arrived. Also, the grandmother secretly snuck the cat into the car and goes against Bailey's wishes. The cat springs onto Bailey's shoulder causing an accident. The grandmother's selfishness and imperfect character traits eventually bring her face to face with death. Eventually, after trying to convince the Misfit prays and talks to Jesus, the Misfit then blames Jesus for his actions. The Misfit tries to compare Jesus to himself by saying "Jesus thrown everything off balance. If he did what he said, then it's nothing for you to do but thow away everything and follow him, and if he didn't, then it's nothing for you to do but enjoy the few minutes you got left the best you can-by killing someone or burning down his house or doing some other meanness to him. No pleasure but meanness" (360). The grandmother goes to reach for the Misfit and as a reaction he shoots her in the chest three times. There is irony between the grandmother and the Misfit. The grandmother's judgement of others is twisted. She tells Red Sammy Butts that he's a "good man" even though he is a lazy slob who treats his wife like a slave. The grandmother's attitude is all about herself. Whatever the grandmother feels is what she wants to do such as her taking the cat when she was told not to. Then the grandmother deals with the Misfit by his gentility. She keeps insisting he is a good man, from good people. " You don't look a bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from nice people!" (358). She waves her handkerchief and adjusts the broken brim on her hat, insisting she is a lady and should not be shot. The grandmother and the Misfit engage in a conversation about the Misfit's criminal life. The Misfit explains how he's committed a crime and they have papers on him unlike Jesus. The grandmother responds to the Misfit by telling him to pray.

However, O'Connor shows the Misfit and the grandmother are on two very different levels with religion. The Misfit has a much deeper understanding of religion and his beliefs are also different then the grandmothers. As the two continue their conversation, the Misfit asks the grandmother if it seems right that Jesus was punished and he escaped punishment. Therefore, the grandmother clings to her religious beliefs about "good blood";(Marton) the grandmother is not being able to connect with the Misfit. In the story " A Good Man is Hard to Find", the Misfit questions the very idea of faith when he says, "I wish I had been there...I would have known" (361). The Misfit doubts that Jesus did raise the dead. The only way the Misfit feels he could have been a good