A Good Man is Hard to Find

[writetaylor]

Taylor Hebert

11/20/12

ENG 151, Wyman

A Good Man is Hard to Find

 

            Flanney O’Connor has always been one of my ultimate literary idols. I purposefully wanted to wait until the end of the quarter so I could present on one of my favorite short stories. Since I first read this story some three years ago I have been very intrigued by O’Connor’s ability to tell stories of moral ambiguity that are both, light and dark, and very compelling. The whole idea of Southern Gothic literature was very interesting to me, as my family is from the South on both sides. I have grown up in the Pacific Northwest, but the South has always been an enigmatic part of me.

            I know all too well the self-righteous grandmother, with her constant nostalgia and inability to accept change (hint, hint, my Grandmother), yet my own Grandmother does not have the same ruthless and treacherous demeanor. When she is put up against The Misfit, the main theme that I saw come through the story is Grace. Catholicism had a large impact on O’Connor’s life and writing. Both the grandmother and The Misfit are unlikely recipients of God’s grace despite their flaws and unfavorable behavior. Despite the grandmother’s insistence that they are both “good” people, they are both inherently “bad” in their own respect—and undeserving—recipients of grace.

            I believe that the central theme of this story is what makes one a “Good” man. Bailey certainly just goes through the motions of life feeling sorry for himself, the Misfit is a criminal, the grandmother is ruthless, and even the children, though innocent, are rude. All end up dead, regardless. As, in O’Connor’s eyes, receive God’s grace. A very very Catholic idea.