A Good Man Is Hard To Find By Flannery O Connor
Symbols are everywhere in our daily lives. Everyone is used to seeing symbols. Symbols are so popular there is a writing system that uses symbols (emojis), and already many send them on a daily basis. In the story "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" symbols are all over the place. Using the car crash as a symbol, Flannery O'Connor was showing more than the literal words on the page. The car crash is a symbol for more a than just a car crash it symbols for sin. Car crashes for the most part are on accident and is a symbol for sin and faults. When crashes happen, they happen fast and sometimes deadly. Relating crashes to sin is a not far fetched idea. Both are mistakes that many will regret and would gladly take back if they had a chance. No one is perfect and mess ups happen, but with concentration and care a majority of accidents are avoidable. Just like sin, staying focus on what is true and just will help one stay on the path to righteousness.
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Finding the protagonist in the story is hard as the author suggests in the title, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find." O’Connor does not hide any of the family member’s faults.
Because of this, no one in the story is a hero in a superhero sense, and we do not know who to cheer and root for. The grandmother believes she is righteous and holy. ‘“If you would pray,” the old lady said, “Jesus would help you.”’ The grandmother believes she is the better than others and has power to judge everyone else, but in fact, that is her down fall. Just like a car crash, we do not sin on purpose. But like car crashes, it happens to the best of us. No one is saved from eternal death and no one is perfect. Everyone makes
mistakes. However, the old lady has faults just like everyone else. Through the whole story the grandmother judges people and uses slang for those she deems less important. “Oh look at the cute pickaninny!” (185). The slang the grandmother uses is very inappropriate even in the era the story was written. The author is showing us the grandmother’s faults though the racial slurs she uses. Although, the grandmother believed she was perfect and right her whole life, she used slang and inappropriate language for colored people. At the very end of the story the grandmother acknowledges that she has made mistakes throughout her live. When she exclaims "you one of my babies" (193) the grandmother realizes that she sinned. Also, the old lady and The Misfit are more alike because of their sin and ignorance towards it. The meeting of The Misfit brought her into reality and showed the grandma that she is not perfect. She had not committed the same crimes as The Misfit had, but helps her realize her own faults.The Misfit figures out though conversation that the grandmother is not as perfect as she claims to be. The Misfit remarked in the end of the story, "She would have been a good woman, if it has been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life" (193). He knows the grandmother did not do the same things as he did, but sees all her wrong doings. Even though the grandmother was not perfect, her son and grandchildren are far from it also. The grandmother is not respected by her son and grandchildren. Throughout the whole story they ignore her and do not listen to what she has to say. Typically, children and grandchildren respect their elders especially in the time period this short story was written. Because the family does not respect their grandmother she will say anything for attention.
Finding the protagonist in the story is hard as the author suggests in the title, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find." O’Connor does not hide any of the family member’s faults.
Because of this, no one in the story is a hero in a superhero sense, and we do not know who to cheer and root for. The grandmother believes she is righteous and holy. ‘“If you would pray,” the old lady said, “Jesus would help you.”’ The grandmother believes she is the better than others and has power to judge everyone else, but in fact, that is her down fall. Just like a car crash, we do not sin on purpose. But like car crashes, it happens to the best of us. No one is saved from eternal death and no one is perfect. Everyone makes
mistakes. However, the old lady has faults just like everyone else. Through the whole story the grandmother judges people and uses slang for those she deems less important. “Oh look at the cute pickaninny!” (185). The slang the grandmother uses is very inappropriate even in the era the story was written. The author is showing us the grandmother’s faults though the racial slurs she uses. Although, the grandmother believed she was perfect and right her whole life, she used slang and inappropriate language for colored people. At the very end of the story the grandmother acknowledges that she has made mistakes throughout her live. When she exclaims "you one of my babies" (193) the grandmother realizes that she sinned. Also, the old lady and The Misfit are more alike because of their sin and ignorance towards it. The meeting of The Misfit brought her into reality and showed the grandma that she is not perfect. She had not committed the same crimes as The Misfit had, but helps her realize her own faults.The Misfit figures out though conversation that the grandmother is not as perfect as she claims to be. The Misfit remarked in the end of the story, "She would have been a good woman, if it has been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life" (193). He knows the grandmother did not do the same things as he did, but sees all her wrong doings. Even though the grandmother was not perfect, her son and grandchildren are far from it also. The grandmother is not respected by her son and grandchildren. Throughout the whole story they ignore her and do not listen to what she has to say. Typically, children and grandchildren respect their elders especially in the time period this short story was written. Because the family does not respect their grandmother she will say anything for attention.