The Misfit's Past Does Not Excuse His Sins

The Misfit’s Past Does Not Excuse His Sins The taking of a life of a human is viewed as a matter of great consequence; the Church views the taking of a life as a mortal sin if the conditions for a mortal sin are met. Grave matter, full knowledge and deliberate consent are the three conditions required to make a sin mortal. If one of these conditions is lessened or not present, then the culpability the person bears for the act is partially or entirely reduced. In A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor, the Misfit seems to fulfill the three conditions. However, he says “It ain’t right I wasn’t there because if I had of been there I would have known” (529). This suggests that his knowledge of right and wrong may be impaired due to poor moral catechesis from his parents. If this is indeed the case, does the Misfit fulfill the requirement of full knowledge that is needed for his killing of the grandmother to be a mortal sin? I argue that the Misfit is indeed guilty of mortal sin in this case. His actions are decidedly immoral, despite his poor upbringing. The Misfit refers to his first incarceration “It wasn't no mistake. They had the papers on me” (527). He recognizes that he had done something wrong, but doesn’t know what. If the Misfit had realized his sin the first time he was sent to prison, he would have reformed his life. However,
His actions demonstrate his continual persistence in acting contrary to what is moral. His killing of the grandmother is indeed grave matter that he deliberately consents to. He fully knows what he is doing when he kills the grandmother; his past actions and words demonstrate that he knows his conscience has been malformed. His obstinate refusal to seek the truth and persist in error fulfill the third condition needed for his sin to be mortal. The Misfit must serve reminder that one’s past does not lessen one’s culpability for one’s