In Flannery O 'Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find'

All Men Are Punished In A Good Man is Hard to Find, Flannery O’Connor tries to show that we are all one of the same and that all man can receive God’s grace. In the short story we are compelled by the completely opposite mannerisms of The Misfit and the grandmother; one character who believes she has no faults and with weak moral convictions. O’Connor uses irony to exemplify two individuals with different moral codes to reveal the notion that all men are ultimately punished, but can achieve grace through attainment of self-awareness and compassion.
The grandmother is fixated by her appearance, and is sure that her ladylike demeanor brings her up to a higher standard than others. She would rather die an upright and well dressed “lady” and
uphold her worth than beg to save the lives of her family. The grandmother lacks compassion for everyone including her family and honors only the superficial aspects of being a lady – moral values and honesty would not be considered one of those qualities worth being valued. The grandmother lacks integrity and could not even admit that the accident was her fault because of her lapse in memory; she would rather remain innocent and deceitful than,” mention that the house was in Tennessee” (549). When challenged, the grandmother
The grandmother is a lying, manipulative, and selfish woman who thinks she is morally superior to those around her. She believes there are few good men left in the south as compared to the men in years past, and the men that she does qualify as good are Red Sammy and The Misfit; men with qualities that are considered disgraceful and unworthy. Red Sammy is a blind fool who is manipulated and taken advantage of and is discouraged by the fact that he is unable to trust anyone anymore and wonders why he was so nice to the fellas who conned him. The grandmother somehow admires his blind faith and simply replies to Red Sammy,” because you’re a good man” (547); she supports poor judgment and apparently believes that ignorance is an admirable quality of a good men. The unnamed grandmother tries to manipulate The Misfit into sparring her life by saying that he is a good man simply because he doesn’t look like he has,” common blood”(550). The grandmother believes that a man should be labeled as decent in character if their values align with her own; she is superficial. The grandmother is a selfish, vain, manipulator and represents qualities which humankind possess and are to be punished for by God.
The Misfit is a philosophical criminal with outlandish beliefs and takes joy in wrongdoing. The Misfit’s beliefs are unorthodox, however remain consistent unlike the grandmother; he lives according to how he sees life, and by what he thinks is right. The Misfit shares with the reader his revelation that Jesus did not deserve to suffer the punishment for Man’s sin, and neither does Man. He concedes that Men will always be evil and punishments worse than death, however in the process should enjoy their worldly happiness. He feels as though one should,” enjoy the few minutes you got left the best way you can by killing somebody,” make do as though Jesus had not died to redeem Man (553). The Misfit understands the struggles of being a human being, and he sympathizes with the notion that Man is imperfect. The Misfit has been blamed and condemned for crimes that he did not commit, like Jesus, he was put at fault by Man. When The Misfit says,” sometimes a man says,” and does,” things he doesn’t mean”, he is trying to relate that man makes mistakes, and we all must accept and learn to make the best of those mistakes (550). The Misfit tries to make the grandmother understand that Man’s crimes do not fit the ultimate punishment of death. Death is unavoidable and the fate of everyone eventually; The Misfit understands his fate, and takes comfort in being mean to others. Because the Misfit has reevaluated himself and his life, he demonstrates a self-awareness that the grandmother lacks.
Both The Misfit and the grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find receive redemption with the realization of their faults and acceptance of each other.
The grandmother had the capacity to be a good woman; she attained grace, at gunpoint, and was able to see who she truly was, and her true lack of superiority. Seeing The Misfit vulnerable and confused when he cries out,” if I had been there I would of known and I wouldn’t be like I am now”, the grandmother was able to clearly see that she and The Misfit are two of the same (554); they are both sinners who will suffer the ultimate punishment regardless of their moral standings. The grandmother attains truth that they are both humans who make mistakes and that she is no better than a criminal. Right before she dies, she forgives and then accepts The Misfit as one of her own –they are equals. The Misfit sees the clarity and grace that the grandmother receives through her redemption which strikes him and brings about a change of heart. “Without his glasses,” as a shield, we are able to see,” The Misfit’s eyes were red-rimmed,” as though he was fighting back the sentiments that were arising from the grandmother’s touch (554); The Misfit displays compassion, maybe even regret for his crime. The moment the grandmother reached God’s grace and cried out,” why you’re one of my babies. You are one of my own,” she is showing that she has found the ability to see others with kindness and understanding (554). The final words, ”it’s no real
pleasure in life” lead the reader to conclude that killing no longer brings The Misfit happiness –suggesting that he may also have changed enough to be saved by God (554).
We all have the potential to be saved by God.
You could be a wicked and deceitful grandmother or a murderous criminal, either way you can receive his grace. O’Connor used this short work of art to prove that no matter the crime one might have committed, we all will be inevitably punished. In A Good Man is Hard to Find, we were shown two different types of “criminals” who were able to attain self-awareness in a way that redeemed their unworthy character flaws. Once we see that these criminals understand their fates, we the reader, are able to accept our own fates; no matter the crime, we will be punished, but can receive God’s
grace.

Work Cited
O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find”. The Norton Introduction to Literature.
11th Edition. Ed. Kelley J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2013. 543-554. Print.