Theme Of A Good Man Is Hard To Find

A Good Man is Hard to Find follows O’Connor’s collective theme of southern social constructions and mental slavery. This is shown through the characters, The Misfit and the Grandma. They are both entrapped in their own issues and have their own ideas on what society considers “good”. The grandmother’s moral code follows appearance of being “good” over the substance of what is in the heart. Her misconceptions on a “good man” makes her morality inconsistent and weak. The Misfit shows a stronger and more consistent moral code, even though he was a criminal. The Misfit does not think of himself as “a good man”, but does not see himself as being the worst. He sees the good in more than just appearances, but in the way a person truly acts. Another theme woven through the story is mental slavery. Readers can see these two characters encapsulated in their own internal struggles. The grandmother deals with a
Pertaining to social class, Mrs. Hopewell and Hulga considered themselves above their employees. Mrs. Hopewell considered herself higher up because of her wealth. Hulga considered herself higher due to the lack of education the employees showed. This story focuses on how in the southern states social class was a tool to separate the elite from the working class. It is an issue that causes a disruption of unity that is sought after. Another issue dealt with in this story was the wrestling of one’s inner self. Readers can see the toxic internal struggles Hulga dealt with due to her handicapped condition. She enslaves herself in thoughts that she is not good enough for the world. Though her brain soars, her body holds her back from the things she truly wants to participate in. She is the victim of the story and that causes her to wrestle with her emotions and thoughts. Good Country People interacts with social class problems and internal