A Good Man Is Hard To Find Character Analysis Essay

Rebecca Levengood
Prof. Resente
English 102 ONL15
November 12, 2015
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find”: Flannery O’Connor’s Use of Characterization
“A Good Man is Hard to Find,” by Flannery O’Connor, is a detailed account of a family trip to Florida that ends in tragedy. On this journey, the family meets several different characters along the way. No matter how insignificant each character is O’Connor is sure to give the reader a full understanding of their intentions and personality. Although the reader never gets to know some of the characters names, O’Connor is sure to make the reader feel as though he knows each character personally. O’Connor uses characterization techniques such as actions, clothing and family life that allow the reader to
dive into each one of her characters.
The actions of each character are O’Connor’s most obvious characterization technique used throughout this short story. At the beginning of the story the grandmother and grandchildren have a conversation about whether or not the grandmother should come on their vacation. After bickering back and forth, June Star talks very rudely to her grandmother: “‘she wouldn't stay at home for a million bucks,’ June Star said. ‘Afraid she'd miss something. She has to go everywhere we go’" (O’Connor 705). The mean things these kids says to their grandmother really shows their characters, and because their parents do not say anything to stop this rude behavior, the reader is to assume these children get away with anything. The children also show the readers they are spoiled by throwing a tantrum in the car after they hear Grandma’s story about the mansion with the secret door, insisting on going to visit the house. Their parents finally give in. Bailey’s character is also given more depth with the use of conversation. Bailey has a short temper, and he often repeats the word “shut up.” This shows that Bailey is easily irritated by the people around him, and it also shows he may be an angry person. The main characters in this story, the grandmother and the Misfit are a lot more complex than the others, and the author allows the reader to see deeper into these characters through the use of actions. The grandmother is complicated because her actions in the beginning of the story make her out to be manipulative and controlling. However, when the reader reaches the end of the story where the grandmother is talking to the Misfit we see a different side of her.
For instance during this conversation she exclaims, "Jesus!" the old lady cried. "You've got good blood! I know you wouldn't shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. I'll give you all the money I've got!" (O’Connor 715). The reader begins to feel as though this is just simply a poor old woman on the verge of a breakdown. Finally the use of actions to determine the Misfit’s characterization is very different from the rest of the characters. Stephen Bandy in his article "`One of My Babies': The Misfit and the Grandmother" states that “Although the Misfit is not physically present until the final pages, his influence hangs over the story almost from the beginning” (Bandy 107). The reader knows the misfit is not a “good man” by what the grandmother reads from the newspaper in the beginning of the story and also what is discussed throughout. This is also supported by the action of the Misfit having the whole family killed after the accident happened. However, at the end of the story we get a glimpse the opposite through the misfit’s actions. Margaret Earley Whitt, in her book Understanding Flannery O’Connor describes the Misfit’s
actions, “Never letting his Southern manners slip, the Misfit systematically does away with each member of the family, shooting them himself or having his henchmen, Bobby Lee and Hiram, do the job” (Whitt 44). Whitt points out that O’Connor has painted the Misfit as a bad man thus far, but he still uses his Southern manners and is very polite. Then, even after he kills the grandmother himself when Bobby Lee exclaims that the killing was "Some fun!" the Misfit replies with, "Shut up, Bobby Lee … It's no real pleasure in life" (O’Connor 716). This makes the reader question who the Misfit really is and if he might be a “good man.” Although the reader gets to see deep into the characters through O’Connor’s use of actions, she takes the reader to another level with her use of clothing. In today’s society many people will judge others based upon appearances. In “A Good Man is Hard to find,” O’Connor uses this and turns it into a technique to get the reader to fully understand her characters. At the start of the family’s journey to Florida, O’Connor describes to the reader, “the grandmother had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print. Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet” (O’Connor 706). This detailed description of the grandmother paints a picture in the reader’s head of a true Southern lady, which is exactly what the author wanted. Using this clothing O’Connor is establishing the grandmother’s character traits which are very similar to that of a Southern lady. She also describes Bailey’s wife’s attire, making her out to be the opposite of the grandmother, describing her plain slacks and head-kerchief. This plays a role in building the grandmother’s character. Having another female character dress in attire that may be considered opposite of the grandmother’s shows there is no need for this character to dress this way on a road trip to Florida, but she chooses to anyway. Although on the surface this may not seem like the use of characterization, it engrains in the reader’s mind that the grandmother’s personality may be a little eccentric and goes above and beyond what is necessary which is exactly true in all aspects of this character. O’Connor also uses clothing as one of her techniques of characterization when she introduces the Misfit. As soon as he gets out of the car, O’Connor describes him as having no shirt or undershirt. This can be interpreted by the reader as the Misfit not caring about his appearance. However, O’Connor again creates some confusion about the Misfit’s character when the story states, "‘I'm sorry I don't have on a shirt before you ladies,’ he said, hunching his shoulders slightly. ‘We buried our clothes that we had on when we escaped, and we're just making do until we can get better. We borrowed these from some folks we met’” (O’Connor 713). The Misfit apologizing for not having a shirt on can contradict the reader’s initial thought of him not caring because he would not be apologizing if he did not care. Then O’Connor spins her character around again by the Misfit stating that they borrowed the clothes from folks they met. This makes the reader question if he really is borrowing the clothes or if he stole them, judging from his past. Then the story goes on to say how the Misfit wore Bailey’s shirt after they had killed him. Which again shows that maybe the misfit was not borrowing the other clothes he was wearing. This technique of characterization shows the true genius of O’Connor’s writing as she uses something as simple as the clothes her characters wear to give the reader a comprehensive look into who they really are. O’Connor continues her characterization using her characters’ family life. This is first shown at the beginning of the short story when the author takes the reader on a journey through the life of Bailey and his family. It is obvious this family do not exactly get along with one another. Whitt explains, “In a region known for its hospitality, the members of this family treat one another with hostile deference” (Whitt 44). This family is portrayed as slightly dysfunctional and undesirable to the reader at first. Mark Mitchell says in his article "The Melancholy Tyrant: Democracy and Tyranny in Flannery O'Connor's ‘A Good Man Is Hard to Find’” that, “From the opening page of the story, we see that the lady is insufferable and in turn ignored and despised by the rest of the family. The children continually speak disrespectfully to her.” (Mitchell 213). The grandmother seems as though she just constantly nags at Bailey, and she seems as though she causes drama within the family. Bailey and his wife have learned to ignore her. The children have a similar mindset when it comes to the grandmother. They blatantly disrespect her saying nasty things that no child should ever say to an elder. This disrespect seems to be accepted in this household, as neither Bailey nor his wife say anything to the children. Whitt writes about the children’s mother and states, “she never disciplines her children, not when they are rude to their grandmother or to strangers” (Whitt 45). The most punishment these children get is when June Star is rude to the grandmother, she replies, "‘all right, Miss, Just remember that the next time you want me to curl your hair’” (O’Connor 705). And yet the young girl still gives back talk as a response to this so-called punishment. Mitchell explains how “there is no discernible affection between the members of this family, and one gets the impression that they would be happier vacationing separately” (Mitchell 213). We continue to see this dysfunctionality throughout their trip to Florida, with arguments about respecting the state you were born in, to whether or not they will take a detour to see the house the grandmother talks about. However, although this family comes across as though they don’t get along, they still are all going on vacation together. This shows the reader that although they bicker and argue they must still have a close enough relationship to want to spend time on vacation together. O’Connor also uses background and family life of the Misfit to communicate a deeper level of characterization to the reader. When the Misfit is questioned by the grandmother about why he was locked up, he gives his reasoning, "‘It was a head-doctor at the penitentiary said what I had done was kill my daddy but I known that for a lie’” (O’Connor 714). The Misfit states that he is locked up because he killed his father. However he doesn’t remember doing this so he doesn’t believe it. This is a whole new level of dysfunctionality, and this makes the grandmother’s family seem extremely normal. O’Connor is very clever in creating this contrast between both the grandmother’s and Misfit’s families. At first when reading the story, the reader sees the grandmother’s family as completely crass and dysfunctional. However, then the author introduces the Misfit’s background, which really sets apart the two characters and shows the reader that the grandmother’s family really is not that bad. This then makes the reader go back and look at the characters and they see them in a different light. O’Connor’s use of characterization truly takes the reader on a journey diving deeper into each character throughout the entire story. Using the actions of each character she gives the reader a detailed account of each of their personalities. She also uses their clothing to describe how each character presents themselves, which can say a lot on where they come from and their self-view. Lastly she builds the characters family lives throughout the story, giving the reader a view into their past. Overall O’Connor’s use of actions, clothing and family life allows the reader to have a deeper understanding of each one of her characters.