Response to A Good Man is Hard to Find

In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find", the interactions between the bizarre characters create an interesting framework in which O’Connor can discuss the nature of human psychology. The short story focuses on the series of unfortunate events that comprise a family’s road trip across the southeast. Through these events and the character’s various reactions, the reader realizes that nothing in life can be taken for what it seems. In the short story, some of the characters experience circumstances that challenge their outlook on life. It is evident that the author believes people are often not who they pretend to be. Through the course of events in "A Good Man is Hard to Find", we experience how different people actually are from their self-image and how dramatic events can challenge everything that you believe in.

From the introduction, the grandmother appears to be the most prominent character in the short story. She is very talkative, self-centered, bossy, manipulative, and seems as if she is a thorn in her family’s side. When she does not want to go to Florida, she selfishly attempts to manipulate her son into canceling their trip by arguing that "I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal loose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did."(1) After her attempt to sway her son and daughter-in-law is to no avail, she is the first one ready to get on the road. Although she had put up a fight to cancel the trip, she could not bear to be left behind. As the trip progresses, the family sees a poor boy standing in the doorway of his shanty. The grandmother, even after proclaiming that that it is hard to find good people anymore like herself, claims that, "Little niggers in the country don’t have things like we do."(20) The grandmother disrespects the small child instead of even thinking to stop to help him in anyway possible or even to pity his condition. When the family arrives at Red Sammy’s the grandmother quickly picks up Red Sam’s opinion that, "These days you don’t know who to trust."(35) She jumps at the opportunity to again express her belief that "People are certainly not nice like they used to be." (35) The grandmother identifies herself and Red Sam as the last of the truly "nice" people although she causes problems within her family and Red Sam appears to have problems with his wife.

Back on the road, the grandmother selfishly tricks her grandchildren into convincing their father to turn the car around to search for an old plantation from her younger years. She tricks them by claiming that, "There was a secret panel in this house…and silver was hidden in it when Sherman came through but it was never found…" (47) During her snipe hunt, the grandmother’s cat jumps onto her son’s shoulder causing him to flip the car. After she regains her senses, the old lady hopes that, "she was injured so the Bailey’s wrath would not come down on her all at once." (66) She does not even consider that her family could have died from her actions. Her only concern after regaining conscience is that she will not be blamed for the accident. Soon after when the Misfit arrives, the old lady selfishly tries to save herself, "You wouldn’t shoot a lady, would you?" (86) After her attempts to quell the Misfit are to no avail, she begins to try to convince him that he is truly a good man at heart. Even after her son and grandson are shot, the grandmother still tries to reason with the killer by calling him a good man. Exhausting her sweet talk, the old lady turns to God. She asks the Misfit "Why don’t you pray?" and his only response is that "I don’t want no hep, I’m doing all right by myself." (120) The old lady again pleads with the killer selfishly offering him all of her money to get out of the situation. The Misfit is still unperturbed by the old lady’s pitiful pleas.

When it is clear that all hope is lost, the grandmother finally realizes that she has been hypocritical her entire life. Although she had always preached about her olden days in which people were kinder, she in fact was not kind at all. She manipulated her family into listening to her. It was her fault that they were in the mess they stumbled into. She finally takes the blame for all of her sins once she realizes that her life is about to end. Acting as if she is a saint, she reaches out to touch the Misfit suggesting that she has forgiven him for his sins. As she moves towards him she murmurs, "Why you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my children." (137) As if in a trance from the old lady’s discussion about God and forgiveness, the Misfit recoils from her touch and shoots her three times. Although the grandmother is unable to change the Misfit’s habit of killing, her pure soul at the end of her life shocks the killer. He finally realizes that there are some truly innocent victims and after killing the old lady, he sees that his life no longer means anything. He remarks to his partner in crime that "It’s no real pleasure in life" suggesting that the Misfit can no longer enjoy killing. The grandmother’s actions before her death convinced the killer that people could be saved through believing in God.

Although the short story ends abruptly with the death of the entire family, the grandmother is able to come to terms with her shortcomings and accept her sins. By truly believing in God and in God’s grace, the old lady realizes that she has made many mistakes throughout her life but that she can cope with her weaknesses. Right before she is shot, the old lady accepts herself for who she is and dies a peaceful woman. (1000)