Analysis of "A Good Man is Hard to Find"

Introduction

Confrontation without seeking advice breeds miseries, agony and suffering in the society. Notably, the justification of this statement is revealed based on the in-depth analysis of the text "A Good Man is Hard to Find". As the story unfolds we are introduced to a massive confrontation between Bailey and the grandmother on whether or not to take the entire family to Florida. Amid the conversation the grandmother as depicted by Flannery O'Connor a witty woman whose desire is to protect the whole family against any form of injuries.... "If you don't want to go to Florida, why dontcha stay at home?" (John Wesley) and the little girl, June Star, were reading the funny papers on the floor. "She wouldn't stay at home to be queen for a day," June Star said without raising her yellow head (3-4). The disrespectful nature of the children is portrayed by their unwillingness to allow grandmother to accompany them to Florida. However, the grandmother who seems to have a robust knowledge about the entire setting reveals the identity of the dangerous criminal by the name Misfit on the loose.

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The misconception on the society and how they look down upon the elderly is depicted in the story when they refused to heed to her advice..."Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is loose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people". Bailey and the entire family after failing to respect the ridiculous warning by the grandmother about the Misfit fight. This feeling of inevitable confrontations is seen as a source of the irony in the whole story. As the story progresses the agony befall the entire family when ironically the grandmother who is well conversant with the route take the wrong route. In the car the grandmother engages the children by narrating how she is well conversant with the terrain of the entire plantation. When Bailey and the kids agree to see the plantation the misery struck them on the way. On the same count the dramatic accident follows as the car flip off the road, they ended being killed by the misfit outlawed group. The confrontation and failure to have faith usually affects the individuals in the society. Also, the grandmother most of the time embrace the goodwill and always wants well for her family as seen in the way he decently portrays good manners and directing the family to the right people.

The contrast arises when the grandmother encounters the Misfit, a terrible gang who seem straightforward evil. The duo criminals with the less sense of guilt accompanied with the lust and desire to maim injure and cause massive destruction. The bizarre of the Misfit gangs creates a central puzzle great twist in the whole story. The critical analysis of the text reveals a society battling with the religion and its teachings as a guiding principle in the society dwindling in the evil activities such as the Misfit. The religious grandmother when in contact with the Misfit indicates that the story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" rotates around Jesus. O'Connor depicts a society championing on the mischief and murder; the old grandmother persuades the Misfit to spare her life in vain after appealing in her religious sense...The grandmother noticed how thin his shoulder blades were just behind his hat because she was standing up looking down on him. "Do you ever pray?" she asked. (The Misfit) Shook his head. All she saw was the black hat wiggle between his shoulder blades. "Nome," he said (106-107). On the other hand, the book "A Good Man is Hard to Find" revolves around the aspect of society and class as the significant concern. The grandmother through her wit at old age give her point of reflection to the mindset of the young people such as Bailey and the family concerning the filth and the massive injustices in the society. The old as portrayed by O'Connor, represent the personality from a different class though her decision to show the entire family about the pride in the plantation is met with an absolute shock in contact with the Misfit. Connor in the book paints the grandmother as the manipulator, one who fights and gets what she wants.

As the story unfolds, grandmother doesn't want to go to Florida because she has relatives to see in Tennessee. She employs all the mechanisms to convince Bailey and the family to abandon their quest to go to Florida since according to her it's fundamentally unsafe. O'Connor tactfully exposes the grandmother as the protagonist in the text with emulated personal qualities. She always wants right for her family, and even in her point of death, she seems not to fear much but only worried about the opinion of the others about her superficial values.

Conclusion

The ultimate ending relates to the misery which befalls the entire family with a credible indication in the way Sam confronted after the death of the whole family and the manner in which the flame burst out of Red Sammy's kitchen reveals a connection. On the other hand, the happy moods pin Red face when in contact with the Misfit after the fire broke and offered to provide them with meat after the killings. In general conclusion, the agony and suffering as depicted by O'Connor in the text reveal that the absolute confrontation and lack of coordination breeds violence and miseries.

References

O'Connor, F. (1962). A good man is hard to find. New English Library.