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A Good Man is Hard to Find

A Good Man is Hard to Find, which debuted in 1956, is still a frequently debated tale

today (Hooten 1). In a little article, Flannery O'Connor was able to bring together the most

thought-provoking subjects of the day (Gresham 11). Even though civilization has changed since

then, Flannery O'Connor's difficulties are still faced by people today. Two major elements of the

novel A Good Man is Hard to Find are greed and independence. The tragic brief narrative "A

Good Man is Hard to Find" is concerning a family. A grandma, mother, father Bailey, and three

children are traveling to Florida. They initially appear to be decent country folk. There are

numerous traps, though.

John Wesley and June Star, their oldest children, are extremely obnoxious and

uneducated (Kinney 5). The mother gives all of her time and attention to her children, leaving

little time for herself. The father appears to be irritated with his kids. Lastly, the grandma doesn't

focus on the children properly and only worries about herself (Gresham 25). The family travels

despite the reports of the fugitive criminal The Misfit. The grandmother suddenly recalls an old

land while traveling to Florida (Hooten 65). She had marveled long ago at its extraordinary

beauty. She persuades Bailey to turn off the road and go there as a result. The grandma lacks

control since she is uncertain if she is pointing in the proper direction.

She is unable to handle her cat as a consequence. It leaps onto Bailey's neck, resulting in

a collision. Thankfully, everyone survived. But that's when the real problems begin. The family
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is attempting to cope with the problem and is hoping that someone would pass by and offer

assistance (Kinney 63). The automobile suddenly comes into the street. The grandmother spots

The Misfit among the three men as they exit the vehicle (Gresham 36). The grandma is

desperately attempting to persuade the offender that he is a nice man to preserve her life. She

requests that he pray so that he might get connected to Lord (Hooten 5). Her efforts, however,

are ineffective. In the end, The Misfit orders the murder of the entire family before killing the

grandmother by himself.

That is how the narrative finishes, in a dramatic manner. The tale A Good Man is Hard to

Find's key themes are greed and individuality. According to the tale, the grandma put her

interests ahead of that of her household (Hooten 9). As a consequence, everyone experienced a

sad conclusion. The writer uses the case of grandma to illustrate how the community is impacted

by the need to satisfy individual needs. The grandma, who is the plot's central figure, is a wholly

self-centered individual (Gresham 61). Her egotism is evident in everything she does, including

how she behaves around her family and how she looks. The grandma is constantly worried about

how she looks. She is enthralled by the notion of being a woman. She then decks herself out in

gorgeous gowns and elaborate headgear.

She wishes that "anyone witnessing her killed on the motorway in event of a mishap

would realize immediately that she was a lady" (O'Connor 2). She does not assist her daughter-

in-law with domestic duties or enjoys time with her grandkids as a result. Instead, the grandma

spends all of her free time dressing appropriately for herself, including hats and outfits. In

addition to being stupid, the grandmother is a wily woman. She successfully coerces her family

into serving her objectives (Gresham 123). For instance, she ignores Bailey's orders and travels

with her pet. She merely believes that if she were to leave her cat unattended at the house, it
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would miss her. As a consequence, the cat is blamed for a catastrophic automobile accident. The

grandma also tricks her family into visiting the farmland she visited decades earlier. She falls

asleep in the car and wakes up remembering a lovely area she went to when she was young. She

begs her son to turn off the road because she wants to remember these experiences.

Bailey won't want to stay on an ancient plantation for very long, the grandma is confident

of that. As a result, she tells her grandkid's children stories about a hidden panel filled with

platinum in that home (Hooten 3). It's not distant from here, I know, the woman replies. Not

more than fifteen minutes would be needed (O'Connor, 5). In truth, she is unsure of the exact

time it would take to get there. She lies to her family, nevertheless, because of her inflated

opinion of herself. She uses her son as a pawn to get what she wants. Because of Grand mom’s

selfish motives, the family is put in jeopardy (Gresham 285). Bailey obeys his mother's

instructions because he feels pressured to do so. They consequently have a vehicle accident and

encounter The Misfit.

The grandma's personal qualities also contain individuality in addition to greed. The

individuality of the woman in the tale is opposed to the individuality of the Misfit. These

individuals use the people around them to fulfill their wants. They disregard other people's

needs, grabbing what they require and moving forward (Gresham 53). The upshot of this

behavior is that "society holds no significance" in the world. Both the grandma and The Misfit

tend humanity (Hooten 54). For instance, the woman tries to persuade the convict of the worth of

spiritual principles. She now has a distinct idea of what compassion entails.

The Misfit appears to be a well-behaved individual at first glance, too. For example, he

expresses regret about his inappropriate attire. However, in both individuals' internal conflicts

between good and evil, evil triumphs (Gresham 93). As a result, in both the grandma's and the
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Misfit's personality sets, individualism prevails. The woman and the criminal wreck society

while having little regard for others. Their egocentric character turns into danger to everyone

around them (Hooten 96). A Good Man is Hard to Find's examination uncovers an intriguing

feature. The grandma and The Misfit share a lot of the same traits. They are both willing to

deceive, lie, and even kill to get what they want. The research on A Good Man is Hard to Find

that is provided addresses Flannery O'Connor's issue (Gresham 26). The writer is concerned

about the topics of greed and individuality. Since this problem is urgent, it needs to be resolved

right away. The universe will become a group of "self-focused explorers without a society who

use everyone else as tools to their objectives" if people continue to be self-centered

individualists.

Even though the narrative contains humor, the conclusion leaves one feeling downcast.

This impression is brought on by the characters' melancholy or negativity as well as the

aggression at the conclusion. More frightening writing than what is found in O'Conner's writings

is written by a lot of other writers. O' Conner, in my opinion, will only be added to that list. Of

course, the advantages that were previously highlighted (about getting people to think) remain

true. Other horror authors don't intend to provoke thought; instead, they write to shock readers

(who prefer to be surprised). They simply write this as there is a demand for it. In that sense, "A

Good Man Is Hard to Find" seems to have the power to provoke thoughts about right and wrong

as well as God's forgiveness. However, that can only occur if the audience also reads a

thoughtful critique of the work. This is improbable unless the individual takes up reading as a

real interest or is a dedicated study of the topic.

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Works Cited

Gresham, Stephen. Things Darkly Buried: In Praise of A Good Man Is Hard to Find. 2010,

Shenandoah,1-2: 17-18. Web.

Hooten, Jessica. Individualism in O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find. 2008, The

Explicator,4: 197-198. Web.

Kinney, Arthur F. A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Overview. 1994, Reference Guide to Short

Fiction. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press 1-2. Print.

O’Connor, Flannery. A Good Man is Hard to Find. 2011, Literature: An Introduction to Fiction,

Poetry, Drama, and Writing: Custom Edition. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Upper

Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1-12. Print.